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Psych myths debunked Jeremy Freshour, Garrett Cheatham, Justin Jones
Myth #1: Males are better at Math and Science than Females • Common stereotypes suggest that males are better equipped than females to excel in Mathematics and Science, while females are better at the liberal arts. • Females show less interest in these subjects, therefore they do not pursue them. • Females feel academically inferior to males in mathematics and science courses and will score less on tests when reminded of their race or gender before hand.
Test scores • Males usually do worse when they do better • They are more likely to get all the answers wrong than females • Therefore they would occupy both tails of a bell curve
Gender Biases • Women still face gender bias in the math and science fields • This is one main reason why math and science fields continue to be dominated by men
Myth in Pop Culture • In 1992, Mattel Inc. invented a Barbie doll that stated, “Math is hard” amongst other phrases. The doll was met with outrage among women’s groups and Mattel decided to replace the chips that randomly picked between the phrases to a chip that excluded the controversial phrase. • Television shows like The Big Bang Theory further gender stereotypes in Math and Science fields.
Myth #3: Academic performance indicates intelligence Common belief dictates that students GPA, test scores, grades, etc. are a result of natural intelligence(smarter people are just smarter and do better) Duckworth and Sigelman studies reveal the power of self-discipline Study 1- self reported grades combined with teacher and parent evaluations of self control Study 2- similar study but included behavioral as well as natural intelligence task
Academic Performance in Pop Culture Movies like Good Will Hunting glorify and often over exaggerate the power of IQ in overall academic performance Further, most people consider the kids with higher grades “smarter” without giving it much thought Very rarely do movies, shows, books, and general media focus on those who have worked hard to get where they are (working hard doesn’t sound fun!)
Intelligence Intelligence tests are defined as a diagnostic tool to measure overall thinking ability Triarchic model of intelligence- was proposed by Robert Sternberg stating three major forms of intelligence(analytical,practical, and creative.) However modern testing tends to ignore a persons creative intelligence and practical intelligence while glorifying analytical intelligence. Our ability to solve a complicated math problem shouldn’t decide the overall intelligence of a person.
Intelligence test bias Intelligence tests are commonly used to analyze the general intelligence of individuals based on math science and reading ability. SAT, ACT, MCAT, ASVAB These tests do not analyze an individual on their practical or creative intelligences. Instead it focuses on their analytical ability. Our idea of testing is biased in that we look at someone who has a low GPA or IQ score and take that to mean that person is not intelligent when in fact we should be looking at all the factors that caused that person to score low.
Myth #4: Genetics determine Intelligence • Common perceptions among the average American is that intelligence is completely determined by their genes. • However, despite popular belief, environment can play just as big of a role in regards to intelligence. • Teasdale and Owen’s twin study showed both genetic and environmental influences on intelligence.
Family Distance and Genetics • A curious finding in the Owen and Teasdale study was that genetic influence increases when related individuals live with each other • This finding was validated by a study by Deary and Plomin that showed more correlation between twins that lived together • There is also evidence showing that the heredity of intelligence can actually range between 20 to 60 percent even though the same genes are affected
