Toy Story: Illustrating Gender Differences in a Motor Skills Task

Abstract

To challenge students' stereotypes about gendered performance on motor skills tasks, we developed a classroom active learning demonstration. Four 3-person, same-gender teams received either a Barbie® doll or a Transformer®, and team members dressed the Barbie or manipulated the Transformer from a tank to a robot as quickly as possible, with each person responsible for 1 step of the process. As predicted, the teams were able to complete the assignment more quickly when given a gender stereotype-congruent task than an incongruent task. The demonstration served as a useful tool in helping students think critically about the origin and significance of gender differences, particularly in the area of manual dexterity. Quantitative data confirmed that students believed the demonstration was helpful and beneficial.