Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of sport self-efficacy in moderating the effect of negative gender stereotypes on motor learning in female students.

Methods: Sixty participants (Mage = 14.02 years old) were assigned into two groups, high and low self-efficacy, based on their scores on the sport self-efficacy questionnaire. Each group was randomly divided into four subgroups (high self-efficacy + stereotype threat, high self-efficacy + control, low self-efficacy + stereotype threat, low self-efficacy + control) based on whether they received stereotype threat instruction or not. In the pre-test phase,the individuals performed 1 blocks of five trials soccer dribbling. In the practice phase, they performed 5 blocks of five trials. Before the first trial, the stereotype threat groups received written stereotype instructions. Then 48 hr later in retention, subjects participated in the same way as the pre-test.

Results: Findings showed that gender stereotype threat caused a significant difference between the high and low self-efficacy groups in the acquisition and retention phase of the soccer dribbling task. The results showed that stereotype threat weakened the motor learning of individuals with low self-efficacy, whereas this effect was not significant on the motor learning of individuals with high self-efficacy.

Conclusion: High self-efficacy can be proposed as a strategy to reduce the negative impact of stereotype threat on motor learning. Possible mechanisms to explain the findings of the present study were discussed.