Girls on Stick: Empowering Young Women in STEM Through Role-Play

How does role-playing as successful scientists impact young girls’ persistence in STEM activities. Can assuming the identity of female scientists help close the gender gap in science and technology fields. What strategies can educators use to foster interest in STEM among girls at an early age.

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The Power of Pretend Play in STEM Education

Recent research has uncovered a fascinating phenomenon in the world of science education: young girls who pretend to be successful female scientists show increased persistence in challenging scientific tasks. This discovery offers a promising avenue for addressing the persistent gender gap in STEM fields.

A study published in Psychological Science explored how role-playing activities could influence girls’ engagement with science. The researchers found that when 6-year-old girls assumed the identity of Marie Curie, they demonstrated greater determination in completing a difficult physics game compared to their peers who did not engage in role-play.

The Science Game Experiment

The experiment centered around a “sink or float” computer game where children had to predict whether various objects would sink or float in water. Researchers recruited 240 children aged 4-7 and divided them into three groups:

Baseline group: Told they would be scientists for the day
Story group: Learned about a gender-matched scientist (Marie Curie for girls, Isaac Newton for boys) before playing
Pretend group: Assumed the identity of the scientist they learned about and were addressed as such during the game

The results were striking: girls in the “pretend” group showed significantly higher levels of persistence in the game compared to the other groups.

Understanding the Gender Gap in STEM

The gender disparity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has been a longstanding issue. In some disciplines, men outnumber women by a ratio of 3 to 1 or more. This imbalance not only affects individual career opportunities but also hampers innovation and progress in these critical fields.

Why does this gap persist? Research suggests that societal stereotypes and lack of visible role models play a significant role. Studies have shown that children as young as 6 years old begin to associate intelligence and scientific aptitude more strongly with boys than girls.

Critical Period for Intervention

The age range of 4-7 years is particularly crucial for shaping children’s perceptions of their own abilities and potential. During this time, children start to develop their sense of identity and form beliefs about what they can achieve in life.

Interventions during this critical period, such as the role-playing activity in the study, may have lasting effects on girls’ interest and confidence in STEM subjects.

The “Batman Effect” in Science Education

The inspiration for this study came from earlier research on what’s known as the “Batman effect.” This phenomenon describes how children who pretend to be a superhero show improved performance on tasks requiring self-control.

Can this same principle be applied to encourage girls in science? The results of the “Girls on Stick” study suggest that it can. By assuming the role of a successful female scientist, girls may temporarily set aside limiting beliefs and tap into a sense of expanded possibility.

Psychological Mechanisms at Work

How does pretending to be a scientist boost persistence? Several psychological factors may be at play:

Identity shift: Temporarily adopting a new identity allows children to step outside their usual self-concept
Increased self-efficacy: Imagining oneself as a successful scientist may boost confidence in one’s abilities
Reduced stereotype threat: Role-playing may help counteract internalized stereotypes about girls in science
Enhanced motivation: Taking on the persona of an admired figure can increase engagement and determination

Marie Curie: A Powerful Role Model for Young Scientists

The choice of Marie Curie as the role model for girls in this study was no coincidence. As a pioneering physicist and chemist, Curie broke numerous barriers in the scientific world of the early 20th century.

Curie’s accomplishments include:

First woman to win a Nobel Prize
Only person to win Nobel Prizes in two scientific fields (Physics and Chemistry)
First female professor at the University of Paris
Groundbreaking research on radioactivity

By learning about Curie’s struggles and triumphs, girls in the study gained exposure to a powerful example of female achievement in science. This exposure, combined with the act of assuming Curie’s identity, created a potent intervention for boosting scientific engagement.

Practical Applications for Educators and Parents

The findings of this study offer valuable insights for those seeking to encourage girls’ interest in STEM fields. While further research is needed to determine the long-term effects of such interventions, there are several strategies that educators and parents can consider implementing:

Role-Playing Activities

Incorporate role-playing exercises into science lessons, allowing children to assume the identities of diverse scientists. This can include historical figures like Marie Curie, as well as contemporary scientists from various backgrounds.

Storytelling and Biographies

Integrate stories about successful female scientists into the curriculum. These narratives can provide inspiration and help children envision themselves in scientific roles.

Hands-On Experiments

Provide opportunities for girls to engage in challenging, hands-on scientific activities. Encourage persistence and emphasize the importance of effort over innate ability.

Addressing Stereotypes

Actively work to counteract gender stereotypes in science. Use gender-neutral language and provide diverse examples of scientists in teaching materials.

Mentorship Programs

Connect young girls with female scientists and STEM professionals who can serve as mentors and role models.

The Broader Impact of Gender Diversity in STEM

Encouraging more girls to pursue STEM fields is not just a matter of individual opportunity; it has far-reaching implications for society as a whole. Increased gender diversity in science and technology can lead to:

More innovative and comprehensive problem-solving approaches
Better representation of diverse perspectives in research and development
Expanded talent pool for addressing global challenges
Reduced perpetuation of gender biases in technology and scientific advancements

By fostering girls’ interest in STEM from an early age, we can work towards a more balanced and inclusive scientific community.

Future Directions for Research

While the “Girls on Stick” study provides valuable insights, it also opens up new avenues for further investigation. Some potential areas for future research include:

Long-Term Effects

Do the benefits of science role-playing persist over time? Longitudinal studies could track participants to see if early interventions lead to sustained interest in STEM.

Intersectionality

How do factors such as race, socioeconomic status, and cultural background interact with gender in shaping children’s science identities? Research exploring these intersections could inform more targeted interventions.

Optimal Age for Intervention

While this study focused on children aged 4-7, further research could determine if there are other critical periods for fostering STEM interest among girls.

Role Model Diversity

Investigating the impact of role-playing as contemporary scientists from diverse backgrounds could provide insights into the most effective role models for different groups of children.

Transfer to Other STEM Fields

Can similar role-playing interventions be effective in promoting girls’ interest in technology, engineering, and mathematics? Exploring this could lead to a more comprehensive approach to closing the STEM gender gap.

Challenges and Considerations

While the results of the “Girls on Stick” study are promising, it’s important to consider potential challenges and limitations:

Avoiding Stereotyping

Care must be taken to ensure that efforts to encourage girls in STEM don’t inadvertently reinforce gender stereotypes or create pressure for girls to conform to specific roles.

Individual Differences

Not all girls will be equally responsive to role-playing interventions. It’s crucial to offer a variety of approaches to engage diverse learners.

Balancing Encouragement and Choice

While promoting STEM to girls is important, it’s equally vital to respect individual interests and not push children into fields they may not be passionate about.

Addressing Systemic Issues

Role-playing interventions alone cannot solve deeply rooted societal biases and structural barriers. Comprehensive efforts are needed to create truly inclusive STEM environments.

The “Girls on Stick” study offers a creative and promising approach to addressing the gender gap in STEM fields. By harnessing the power of imagination and role-play, educators and parents may be able to help young girls see themselves as capable scientists from an early age. While this intervention is not a panacea, it represents an important step towards creating a more diverse and inclusive scientific community.

As we continue to explore ways to engage girls in STEM, it’s crucial to remember that every child is unique. The goal should be to create an environment where all children, regardless of gender, feel empowered to explore their interests and talents in science and beyond. By nurturing curiosity, persistence, and a sense of possibility in our youngest learners, we can work towards a future where gender is no longer a barrier to scientific achievement.

2 Girls, 1 Stick (Short 2018)

2018
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ShortComedy

When two girls accidentally share the last pregnancy test in their small suburban town, they have to reconcile their differences to figure out which of them is actually pregnant.When two girls accidentally share the last pregnancy test in their small suburban town, they have to reconcile their differences to figure out which of them is actually pregnant.When two girls accidentally share the last pregnancy test in their small suburban town, they have to reconcile their differences to figure out which of them is actually pregnant.

Director
- Scout Stolpmann
Writers
- Anna Morris
- Nikki Mulholland
- Scout Stolpmann
Stars
- Jocelyn Masse
- Kelly Estomo
- Brandon Christian

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Jocelyn Masse

Kelly Estomo

Brandon Christian

Aaron Lebel

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Rob Andino

The Party Animal

Director
- Scout Stolpmann
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- Anna Morris
- Nikki Mulholland
- Scout Stolpmann
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- April 24, 2018 (Canada)
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- English
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- Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
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First-Grade Girls Stick With Science After Pretending to be Marie Curie

Young girls around age six persisted longer on a challenging physics game when they assumed the role of a successful scientist. (Monstera via Pexels)

Dan Vahaba

@DukeBrain

DURHAM, N.C. — Fake it ‘til you make it is true for children too, it turns out: Young girls embracing the role of a successful female scientist, like Marie Curie, persist longer at a challenging science game.

A new study, appearing Sept. 28 in the journal Psychological Science, suggests that science role-playing may help tighten the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and careers for women simply by improving their identity as scientists.

Frustrated by the gender gap in STEM, in which some fields employ at least three times more men than women, Cornell graduate student Reut Shachnai wanted to do something about it. Shachnai, who is now continuing her studies at Yale, said the idea to help foster young girls’ interest in science came to her during a lecture in a class she was taking on “Psychology of Imagination. ”

“We read a paper on how children pretending to be a superhero did better at self-control tasks (the so-called ‘Batman effect’),” said Tamar Kushnir, Ph.D., who taught the class and is now a Duke professor of psychology & neuroscience as well as a fellow author on the new paper. “Reut wondered if this would also work to encourage girls to persist in science.”

Along with Lin Bian, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, Shachnai and Kushnir devised an experiment to test if assuming the role of a successful scientist would improve girls’ persistence in a “sink or float” science game.

The game itself was simple yet challenging: a computer screen projected a slide with an object in the center hovering above a pool of water. Kids then had to predict whether that object — be it an anchor, basketball, balloon, or others — would sink or float. After making their choice, they learned if they made the right choice as they watched the object either plunge or stay afloat.

The researchers recruited 240 four- to seven-year-olds for the experiment, because this is around the time kids first develop their sense of identity and capabilities.

“Children as early as age 6 start to think boys are smarter and better at science than girls,” said Bian, whose previous work identified this critical period.

Boys and girls were assigned to three different groups: the baseline group were told they would be scientists for the day and then got to play the game.

Children in the “story” group received the same information, but also learned about the successes and struggles of a gender-matched scientist before playing the game. Boys heard about Isaac Newton, and girls were told about Marie Curie. They also had to take a two-question pop quiz after the story to make sure they were paying attention (they were).

Finally, children in the “pretend” group did all the same things as the “story” group, with one important twist: these children were told to assume the identity of the scientist they just learned about, and were referred to as such during the game (“What’s your prediction, Dr. Marie?”).

All kids played at least one round of the game, after which they were asked if they wanted to play more or do something else. Once the kids tapped out, they were asked to rate how good they thought they were at the game and as a scientist.

No matter what group they were in, girls got the answers right just as often as boys — nearly 70% of the time. Boys, however didn’t really benefit from the stories or make-believe.

“Boys were kind of maxed out,” Kushnir said. “They were about at ceiling performance no matter what we did.”

Girls, on the other hand, benefited immensely from playing pretend.

Without being exposed to Marie Curie, girls called it quits after six trials. However, girls pretending to be Dr. Marie persisted twice as long at the sink-or-float game, playing just as much as the boys did (about 12 trials on average).

While there wasn’t much benefit to just hearing a story about Marie Curie for extending game play, it did boost girls’ ratings of themselves as science gamers.

Kushnir and her colleagues’ work poses many new questions for researchers, such as if children assuming the role of successful scientists matched by race and ethnicity might also benefit (the participants were mostly white in this study).

“Our findings suggest that we may want to take representation one step further,” Shachnai said. “Rather than merely hearing about role models, children may benefit from actively performing the type of actions they see role models perform. In other words, taking a few steps in the role model’s shoes, instead of merely observing her walk.”

Support for the research came from the US National Science Foundation (DRL-2145809; SL-1955280; BCS-1823658), and the Cornell Center for Social Sciences.

CITATION: “Walking In Her Shoes: Pretending To Be a Female Role Model Increases Young Girls’ Persistence in Science,” Shachnai, Reut, Kushnir, Tamar, Bian, Lin. Psychological Science. Sept. 28, 2022. DOI: 10.1177/09567976221119393

Horse on a stick – the new crazy sport of Finnish girls

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madness

05/02/2017

8912

Who would have thought that such a childish and almost forgotten fun as “riding” on a stick with a toy horse’s head could ever turn into a sport with full-fledged competitions.

This madness is called “Hobbyhorse” and is a kind of mixture of sports with choreographic riding without a horse. Check out the details of this woody plush madness and video from the Hobbyhorse competition below..

Riding a toy horse even has its own sports clubs, and as we wrote above, competitions that take place in several stages with plush horse heads

In the second stage, the girls will have to jump over obstacles with the same skate between their legs, and here they will have to show their sports skills 9

[region:bone:inline_1]

9 0002

This sport is currently very popular in Finland :bone:inline_2]

However, thanks to social media, riding a toy horse has already begun to spread beyond Finnish borders

Perhaps this madness will reach us soon

Hobbyhorse competition video

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Horse on a stick – a new crazy sport for Finnish girls

Prostoilogin

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Prostoilogin

03 May 2017 08:41

Tags: Sports horses

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Who would have thought that from such a childish and almost forgotten fun as “riding” on a stick with a toy horse’s head could ever turn into a sport with full-fledged competitions.