Resumen de Effects of gender role and task content on performance in same-gender dyads: Transactive memory as a potential mediator

Estelle Michinov, Nicolas Michinov, Pascal Huguet

• English

  This experiment was designed to examine the effects of gender role and task content on performance in learning dyads and to test the potential mediator effect of an intragroup process related to transactive memory. A total of 44 same-gender dyads participated in the study and were asked to collaborate on a stereo typically masculine or feminine task in a laboratory setting. Collective peiformance and transactive memory were measured. As predicted, the results showed an interaction between group gender and task content on group performance, with male dyads showing poorer peiformance on a masculine task than female dyads. However, contrary to expectations, this moderation effect was not mediated by transactive memory, which appeared as a simple mediator of the relationship between group gender and performance. The results are discussed in the framework of the social role theory, and implications for future research in small learning groups are proposed.

• français

  L'objectif de cette experience bait d'examiner les effets des roles de genre et de la connotation stereotypique de la tache sur la performance de groupes d'apprenants, ainsi que l'effet potentiel d'un processus médiateur relie a la memoire transactive. 44 dyades (dyades masculine vs. feminine) etaient invitees a participer a une tache d'apprentissage connotee sexuellement (feminine vs. masculine) en situation de laboratoire. Des mesures de performance collective et de memo ire transactive etaient recueillies. Conformement a nos hypotheses, les resultats ont montre une interaction entre la composition des dyades et la connotation de la tache sur la performance collective, montrant que les performances des dyades masculines sont plus faibles que celles des dyades feminines lorsque la tache d'apprentissage est connotee masculine. Toutefois, contrairement aux attentes, cet effet d'interaction entre la composition des dyades et la connotation de la tache n 'est pas mediatise par Ie processus de memo ire transactive. En eifet, celui-ci apparaft comme un simple mediateur de la relation entre la composition des dyades et la performance collective. Les résultats sont discutes dans le cadre de la theorie des roles sociaux. Les implications pour les recherches futures sur les groupes d'apprentissage sont egalement proposees.