Girls are disciplined and boys rebellious. The influence of implicit gender associations on noticing of disruptive student behavior: an eye-tracking study

Abstract Professional vision is an important situation-specific competence for teachers. Particularly for classroom management, a good learning environment requires early recognition of potential disruptions, the correct interpretation of such situations, and fair, appropriate consequences. Group associations can influence perceptual processes and, especially in complex, dynamic situations, (pre-service) teachers risk misinterpreting behavior by following implicit associations rather than actual behaviors. The connection between associations and perceptual processes in the context of professional vision has rarely been investigated. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the implicit gender-specific associations of pre-service teachers and their noticing of disruptions from a female versus a male student. We conducted a randomized repeated measures experiment with N = 62 pre-service teachers, who observed four video vignettes of a virtual classroom with either a female or a male student exhibiting disruptive behavior. Implicit associations were assessed using the implicit association test, while gaze behavior was measured using the eye-tracking method. The results indicated a higher attentional focus on the female student, however, there was no deeper cognitive processing for the female student, which was expected for more inconsistent information according to the continuum model of impression formation. The findings did not demonstrate a direct connection between implicit associations and noticing. In the discussion, we underscore the importance of valid stimulus material and suitable methods for measuring implicit associations, thus providing valuable insights for future research.