Once upon a Time There Was a Math Contest: Gender Stereotyping and Memory

Abstract

In this classroom exercise, students observe gender stereotypes influencing memory processes. A student retells a story to a classmate, who in turn repeats it to a third classmate, who retells the story to the entire class. The gender of the main character changes how others remember and retell the story. The exercise also demonstrates other memory concepts and Allport and Postman's (1947) classic concepts of leveling and sharpening. Student evaluations of the exercise reveal that comprehension of gender stereotyping improved significantly after participating in the demonstration. Thus, this demonstration helps students learn about memory processes and the influences of gender stereotyping on behavior.