Simple writing exercise helps women excel

The writing exercise seems particularly beneficial to female students who tend to subscribe to the negative stereotype that males perform better in physics, said the researchers.

This simple writing exercise — aimed at re-affirming an individual’s core values — appears to narrow the gap and level the playing field for women who find themselves in this frequently stereotyped demographic.

Akira Miyake from the University of Colorado suggested that similar value-affirmation exercises might help to close the gender gap further.