Abstract
A common misconception about math is that it requires raw intellectual talent or “brilliance.” Only students who possess this sort of brilliance are assumed to be capable of success in math-related subjects. This harmful myth has far-reaching consequences for the success of girls and children from ethnic-minority backgrounds in these subjects. Because women and minorities are stereotyped as lacking brilliance, the myth that success in math requires this trait is a barrier that students from these groups have to overcome. In the first part of this paper, we detail the pervasiveness of this myth and explore its relation to gender and race gaps in math and beyond. In the second part, we highlight some potential sources of this myth in children’s everyday experiences and offer some strategies for debunking it.
Highlights
Many people seem to believe that, with respect to mathematics, the world consists of two groups: those who are “math people” and those who are not [1,2]
Brilliance is stereotypically associated with some groups more than others in our society [7,8], which in turn leads to the assumption that some are more likely to be “math people” than others
These two beliefs—the myth that brilliance is required for success in mathematics and the stereotype that women and people of color lack this brilliance—have already been linked to racial and gender gaps
Summary
Many people seem to believe that, with respect to mathematics, the world consists of two groups: those who are “math people” and those who are not [1,2]. Is the more fundamental notion that doing mathematics requires some sort of innate quality—a spark of brilliance or a “gift” whose presence determines whether someone is a math person or not This is a myth: with suitable effort and strategies, as well as appropriate instructional guidance, every school student can become proficient in mathematics [3,4,5,6]. Brilliance is stereotypically associated with some groups more than others in our society (e.g., men more than women; white people more than black people) [7,8], which in turn leads to the assumption that some are more likely to be “math people” than others In this way, the myth that math is for brilliant people acts as a barrier to math success in school (and, later, to participation in math-intensive careers) for students from groups who are not perceived to be brilliant. We highlight some potential sources of this myth in children’s everyday experiences and conclude by suggesting strategies that parents and educators could use to prevent this myth from stifling young people’s aspirations
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