  We discuss a study in a first year college introductory physics course for
physical science and engineering majors that shows that women, on average, feel
less recognized by their physics instructors than men as students who can excel
in physics. We also discuss how this lack of perceived positive recognition
pertaining to physics can adversely affect their self-efficacy and performance
in the course. We recommend that physics instructors not be parsimonious in
their praise of students and make a conscious effort to positively recognize
their students for their effort and progress whenever an opportunity arises.
Interviews with female students suggest that instructors should be careful not
to give unintended messages to students, e.g., by praising some students for
brilliance or intelligence as opposed to their effort because praising a
student for brilliance can convey to other students that they do not have what
is required to excel in physics. Interviews also suggest that when students ask
instructors for help on physics problems, if instructors inadvertently label
those problems as "easy", "trivial" or "obvious", it can also make students
feel disparaged. The perception of being belittled by these kinds of unintended
comments by instructors as well as a lack of positive recognition for good
effort and progress have the potential to most adversely impact students from
underrepresented groups including women.
