Experimentation / 25 Experimentation issue of intemal validity is primarily concemed with questions of Experiments in the sci atonal population), _ THE BIG QUESTION OF “CONSTRAINTS INTO fae Pedic Senn ser Stony ale the same, except forthe “treatment” and “conto.” The git behind experinents is as follows subjects aze randomly assigned to a teatment or conta group, and 4 every other aspect ofthe subjects experiance isthe same, and ere ae ea ase ne ‘oting that men and women often seem toe in dit n pardcult, men are more likely to hold jabs that draw ‘messy world of our day-today ives, the answer je “Tots of rel sought to take advantage of the “pure” world of26 / THE PRACTICE OF RESEARCH. i i consequential, explaining the majority of (Peterson and Morgan 1995) fexplanaions of this continied segregation have examined the femanel-ide” processes, a phrase referring to preceses that lad lated? How were subjects assigned fo. ‘the assignment random? Was every aspect of tue, Uns hat colons sch dein cep deceive a28 / THE PRACTICE OF RESEARCH. xprinetaton / 29 and choose diferent college majors, which produces gender di i the kinds of jobs that ae later seen a8 plausible options \acobs 19986; National Science Foundat ‘of job supply networks means that ever the point ‘of hire and subsequent prom : regation would aid work dive to the dfs ingly voluntary career cholo men and women make svhen performed, enacted, or held impact the trajectory or path of Human Capital Explanations references fo to 2 penon’s understanding of his tr her own assessment” The model explains how cul the formation of selrasessments of comy[81/THE PRACTICE OF RESEARCH Experimentation / 31 in society, but might instend emenge Because men “really are bette” at sccial psychological fons and provide evide ‘THE EXPERIMENT Sstgument is best exalted byl thee fo companion studies the experiment sas designed ats hele impose on ‘STATUS BELIEFS, SELF-ASSESSMENTS, AND EMERGING ASPIRATIONS gender with task performance. The gender belict the task and the gender ofthe subject ane independent cessment of task competence andthe standand used ¢0 the primary dependent variables, Task performance 95 eld constant. Gender is commonly described that vdely shared cultural Bel iment I manipulate gender ble aos rt or “MAS aes, bay athe experi tnke Tso ormanc anne 10 make gene ‘react Dut men wil se tan ink compen ‘elect of gender om selbassessnents “The subjects were fe firstoyear undergraduates, who vere pil for thet fime atid randomly assigned to ether the MA or GD Condition. Analysts ie Based on 2 sample of 80 subjects (20 subjects per éenaition). Procedures{| THE PRACTICE OF RESEARCH subjects wore informed verbally by an undergraduate experimenter by reading @ pamnge on thelr computer screen, that 2 nationale iy more masculine pars in the GD condition, ‘goals of the situation (ie., scoring hig [ the ond of vance elween pene were asked to desc he conrast sensitiv ably cm apn angng from “considerably below average” fo “corsidersly above 1, Means of Gender Task Association Manipulation Variables 8y the end of each round, participants igned to frst provide ability standard ‘Alter the second ro nt to which the experimen ‘wore suse, Before leaving, ed Confirming the suc dition indented that“q apeimenain / 38 34 / THE PRACTICE OF RPSEARCHE < L average.” This question was asked after both rounds of the study IETS AND DISCUSSION ‘esponses were averaged. The mean of this tem is 389 and its SD i 1 the biasing effect of gender st The tl stoned mtr taken for se ts hopatn owt hebning fc of gener fender differences in theic aspirations for paths requiring same level of task ability,96 / THE PRACTICE OF RESEARCH itvty tobe convinced that they hat high ask bl they would need a higher score ofa la The results for women were less consistent, Compared with women in ‘condition, women in the MA condition indicate tat they would scans fo be certain they possesed high levels of tack com ‘Standard is higher) Ho ‘the means of the tvee Selfasenement ages, by male-advantging task conffonted with a maleadeantaging task Beli28 / THE PRACTICE OF RESEARCH aperinentation / 9 significanily between conditions for women. Taken together, the land female results provide some evidence that beth men and women $f influenced by maleedvantaging beliefs although the results aze mae thle for men. to assess ther contrast sensitivity ability higher than women in this fn, these men should also have higher aspiration levels Tible 14, | provide a compari of sears and SDs of the two mn variables by subject gender and task ble. The top por Summary of Results “The main hypothesis was strongly supported. Mon use 2 more len i te ara of the probity sample des Within Grier ‘jon Unienty >spations opasone sma) ram enew) ssa) my oth kinds of data support the hypothesis that status cant ler bias the assessments men ard women make of thet for petence. But, da gender difference in sei-assesments int aoe merging aspirations for acevites that require task ability? The tour at higher adheres of compete twine cain CD pte nt fee ANOVA ri Xe cai, SSA ee leita ak40 / THE PRACTICE OF RESEARCH : speimentaton / 2 fat men are better ata task, men have higher aspirations than spe pint re to recognize the constrained aspect of choice obscures some of the by which gender inequality is perpetuated. It either defines the aay of locates is sour Inthe individualistic actions of those y disadvantaged by theie poston in the Inbor marke. ins and Ethnical Concern: The Why and When of ory Experiments pe purpose of the experimental method is to assess whether one thing ‘another. For example, educational esearchers have long been inte CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Gender differences in sel-asessment of mather by cul ‘experimental-and survey | 15 of tank compe: ts age placed in each condition, Random assignment ensures that tucents who were assigned tothe small-size classrooms do not difer lcs about gender ln this way, mache | ging preferences tn spinon ant india act on hr septs inv ice Te42.) THE PRACTICE OF RESEARCH xprinntnton / 48 ‘My Research Question (a By Research Question (and How I Came to Conduct an 0 could not rule out the possibility that some other difference any sample cased the diferences in selas- Wit avant putt ed ben : we ee eked raed sy pt e Pat exused them make higher self-assessments, While I ad ensued ithe boys and girls had equal math grades and math test scores, the Suggested that perhaps there Was Some other aspect of math abi ‘liferentated the boys from the ins. Tk was at dus point that T ‘slersoypes had en theit assessments oftheir ably ating the Ar an experiment to test my argument required several steps. Fit to crete diferent kinds of stereotypes about some abity. That uals since familar ables fad early career success. pants were given a fest where they judged the relative amount hie and back area ina serie of images. They were tld that this Tmewsured thee contrast sensitvity aby, in actualy, t . gs were generate stich4 a “Experimentation 45 #4 / He macticn oF Reseanci expected women would Contained equsl amounts of back and white. Since there were no eight ion (beste they hear verong answers, I : the primary gol has been developed wns.” AE ects and stil. Feu how 1 grappled ets om peop ‘people of diferent ages, ethnicities,‘apetimenaon / Manta. 1806 “Double Sandards in the Evaluation of Men and Women Pry Guay 9: 257-54 Hever 1850, "The. Impact of Oxcpational Segregation on. Working © si Fore 6879-56. yar aut A. Fo and Cary. rates Aids ard At: A Meta on, 1984. “Sex Typing i Occupstional "So Saepton ne Wore, 192-22 snd Wiliam P. Bridge. 199. Lapling Ie: Cots, ia! Pay or Woon sven. Cambridge, Ma: Cambridge Laie A. Morgan. 1995 "Separate and Unequal: Ocopation- oe a he Gender Wage Cap” Amer oral of Pony 78-902