Stereotype threat, gender-role conformity, and New Zealand adolescent males in choirs

Abstract

Choirs have been stereotypically gendered feminine in many national contexts. When gender-role conformity has been expected in such settings, male choral participation and performance has often been rendered gender incongruent and consequently threatening. Gender stereotype threat was explored as a factor which might instigate a potentially negative experience for adolescent males in New Zealand school choirs. The findings of the present study (a quasi-experiment conducted in a real-world setting across several cultural contexts) revealed that the performance of adolescent males in choirs was negatively affected by gender stereotype threat. Moreover, such threat was triggered by culturally-s..