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-specific concerns about perceived peer expectations of gender-role conformity. The study also provided impetus to further explore the idea that stereotype threat could spill over from one domain to another. The findings add to the body of stereotype threat literature, and underline the important relationship between adolescent beliefs about gender-role conformity and music education.