Social Lecture 26 Stereotype Threat

What are the Effects of stereotype threat?

- Produces worry and anxiety - impairs performance (puts a cognitive load on person) - Disidentification (think that others think you're not good -> don't enjoy it and don't feel belonging)

What are some Barriers to identification?

- Socio-structural variables (lack of resources: SES, discrimination) (-> less role models) - Stereotype threat (awareness of negative stereotypes, worried that other will apply stereotype, worried of confirming stereotype)

What is Stereotype Threat Theory (Steele, 1999)?

- Success requires identification (has to derive a sense of sense in academics) to sustain achievement motivation. - Requires good prospects (self-efficacy), and that you will be valued in that domain. - If identification doesn't form -> performance will suffer (Need skills, belong, access to resources)

What are the key Features of steretype threat?

- Universal (not tied to groups) - Driven by situational relevance (context specific) -> triggered by situation -> stereotype salient - Doesn't require internalisation (don't have to personally believe it) - Overcoming stereotype threat requires new proof with new challenges (have to confirm it with everyone) -> self-doubt (when it's difficult or over time)

What are the main examples of Stereotype Threat?

Based on 2 questions: - Why so few women who major in maths, physics, engineering? - Why do African Americans drop out of college at a disproportionate rate?

Outline a study on Women and Driving Performance

Method: - 88 women with licenses. - Told either the Study was why men better drivers (threat) or mental processes in driving. - Simulation with pedestrian j walking at the end. Results: - Threat -> run over J walker (60:20)

Outline a study on African Americans and Test Performance

Method: - Black and White Stanford students took verbal test. - Told it is diagnostic (test of verbal ability/threat) or not diagnostic (problem solving task/control) Results: - Stereotype threat -> white outperformed black - Stereotype activation shown with completing words, in stereotype threat group for blacks. - Having a demographics including race -> worse performance (vs. demo without race)

What are some ways of Reducing Stereotype threat for women doing math tests?

Method: - Conditions: Problem solving, maths-test for gender differences (threat), teaching-intervention (aware of threat). Results: - Women effected by math test (threat) condition. - Teaching reduced threat.

What are some ways of reducing Reducing Stereotype threat women doing math test with genetics?

Method: - Effects of genetic vs. experiential accounts of gender differences in maths test. - Participants overheard fake debrief that: -> Females aware of gender (threat) -> No gender differences -> Genetic ->Experiential Results: - No difference and experiential reduce stereotype threat. - Genetics and stereotype threat -> worse performance.

Outline a study on Women and Maths Performance

Method: - Women and men who identified math as important. - Told test was to produce gender differences (stereotype threat salient) or not produce gender differences (not). Results: - Stereotype threat -> men outperformed women

Why does underperformance occur in stereotyped groups?

One answer: There are group differences in ability. (Suggests innate abilities) BUT there are findings that SAT reliably over predicts for African Americans when they get in college (African Americans perform less at college) Even controlling for ability, still find differences in performance. Steele (1999) something happens to certain groups in same environments (some groups underperform)