Math–gender stereotypes and math-related beliefs in childhood and early adolescence

•We studied implicit and explicit gender stereotypes about math, and math-related beliefs, in 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders.•At the explicit level 3rd graders rated their gender ingroup as better at math. Eight graders rated males and females as equally good at math.•Implicit measures showed that 3rd-, 5th-, and 8th-grade girls, as well as 8th-grade boys, associate math with male rather than with femalegender.•Children’s perception of math ability were related to explicit gender stereotypes about math: the relation was positive for boys and negative for girls.

The present study investigated gender stereotypes about math at explicit and implicit levels, and the relations between stereotypes and math-related beliefs, from middle childhood through early adolescence. A sample of 241 Italian 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade children and early adolescents (124 females and 117 males) completed a self-report questionnaire and a paper-and-pencil Implicit Association Test (Greenwald et al., 1998). Results showed that 3rd grade boys and girls systematically rated their gender ingroup as better at math at the explicit level, whereas older children and adolescents tended to reject the traditional math–gender stereotype. However, the stereotype was present at the implicit level in girls from 3rd grade onward and in 8th grade boys. Finally, explicit but not implicit gender stereotypes about math were related to both boys' and girls' self-perception of math ability.