What Feathers Flock Together? Examining College Students’ Perceptions of Social Model Similarity

Abstract

Educators often try to motivate students for learning science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics by exposing them to social models with similar characteristics. However, it is not clear what dimensions of similarities are most optimal for motivating students in STEM. The present study investigated different dimensions in which college students perceived similarity to their social models in chemistry (N = 265) and biology (N = 143) and how different dimensions of perceived similarity were related to students’ competence-related beliefs and task values for learning in those fields. Academic similarities—particularly similar abilities, efforts, and interests—were the most frequent dimensions of similarity college students reported perceiving with respect to their STEM social models. Additionally, perceiving similar academic abilities to a social model was associated with greater competence-related beliefs in both studies. The relative salience of different academic similarities and their relations to STEM motivation also differed by study, suggesting that the importance of academic similarity perceptions may differ across learning contexts. Educators should consider emphasizing academic similarities when using social models to recruit or retain college students in STEM, while also acknowledging contextual nuances that may attenuate how different perceptions of similarities motivate students.