What is an example of stereotype threat?
For example, if students try to suppress thoughts about negative stereotypes, or if they are worried that their poor performance may confirm stereotypes, the effort and associated emotions may divert mental energy from answering a test question or solving a problem.
What are the three ways that stereotype threat undermines performance?
This pressure can undermine performance through at least three main mechanisms: mere effort, working memory depletion, and conscious attention to automatic processes. Mere effort. People are motivated to disconfirm negative stereotypes about their group.
What is the relationship between stereotype threat and anxiety?
Claude Steele’s stereotype threat hypothesis has attracted significant attention in recent years. This study tested one of the main tenets of his theory—that stereotype threat serves to increase individual anxiety levels, thus hurting performance—using real‐time measures of physiological arousal.
How does stereotype threat affect academic performance?
It has the ironic effect of making that something actually more prevalent in your mind while also eating up cognitive resources. In sum, stereotype threat disrupts the cognitive processes that allow us to effectively access and use our knowledge. The result is reduced achievement.
What is stereotype threat?
Definition. Stereotype threat is defined as a “socially premised psychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one’s group applies” (Steele & Aronson, 1995).
What is stereotype threat and why is it important?
Stereotype threat refers to the risk of confirming negative stereotypes about an individual’s racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural group which can create high cognitive load and reduce academic focus and performance.
What is stereotype threat in psychology?
Stereotype threat is defined as a “socially premised psychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one’s group applies” (Steele & Aronson, 1995).
How do you combat stereotype threats?
- Empirically Validated Strategies to Reduce Stereotype Threat.
- Remove Cues That Trigger Worries About Stereotypes.
- Convey That Diversity is Valued.
- Create a Critical Mass.
- Create Fair Tests, Present Them as Fair and as Serving a Learning Purpose.
- Value Students’ Individuality.
- Improve Cross-Group Interactions.
What causes stereotype threat?
Situational factors that increase stereotype threat can include the difficulty of the task, the belief that the task measures their abilities, and the relevance of the stereotype to the task.
What is the impact of the stereotype threat?
Stereotype threat has been demonstrated to negatively affect certain racial/ethnic groups when they become hyper-aware that their performance could confirm the very stereotype that they wish to avoid. The pressure to not conform to the stereotype creates anxiety, which in turn adversely affects performance.
What are consequences of stereotype threat?
For example, stereotype threat has been shown to disrupt working memory and executive function, increase arousal, increase self-consciousness about one’s performance, and cause individuals to try to suppress negative thoughts as well as negative emotions such as anxiety.
Which of the following most accurately defines stereotype threat?
Which of the following most accurately defines stereotype threat? When a person thinks their group is stereotyped as doing poorly on a certain task, their anxiety about confirming that stereotype can compromise their performance on that task.