Stereotype Threat.ppt

8/9/2019 Stereotype Threat.ppt

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Stereotype Threat

Reducing Students Performance Gap

Bamdad Samii


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What is Sterotype Threat?

Being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about

one's group

When performance can be harmed by theawareness that one's behavior might beviewed through the lens of racial or gender

stereotypes

(teele ! "ronson, #$$%&


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In addition to, lowering assessment performance,

stereotype threat can lead to selfhandicappingstrategies, such as reduced practice time for a task!Stone "##"$, and to reduced sense of belonging tothe stereotyped domain!Good, %&ec', ( Rattan,"##)$* In addition, consistent e+posure to stereotypethreat !e*g*, faced y some ethnic minorities in academicen-ironments and &omen in math$ can reduce thedegree that individuals value the domainin.uestion !/ronson "##", 0sorne 1223$* In education, itcan also lead students to choose not to pursue the

domain of studyand, conse.uently, limit the range ofprofessions that they can pursue* Therefore, the long-term effects of stereotype threat might contributeto educational and social inequality!Good et al*,"##)a4 Schmader, 5ohns ( Bar.uissau, "##6$*7

What are the effects?


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Who is effected?

Stereotype threat has een sho&n to harm the academicperformance of /frican /merican !Steele ( /ronson,1223$, 8ispanics !Gon9ales, Blanton ( Wiliams, "##"4Schmader ( 5ohns, "##:$, students from lo&socioeconomic ac'grounds !;roi9et ( ;laire, 122)$,

females in math !Good, /ronson ( 8arder, "##)4 In9licht( Ben


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What are the mechanisms ehind stereotype threat?

Anxiety

Negative cognitions and dejection8eightened stereotypeArelated thin'ing, leading to distraction and loss of moti-ation &hich, in turn, cannegati-ely affect performance

Lowered performance expectations

If indi-iduals e+pect to do poorly on a tas', they might not e ale to perform as &ell as &hen confidence is high* Physiological arousal

>o& heart rate -ariaility !8R$, an indicator of mental load, appears to arise in conditions that producestereotype threat*

educed effort educed self-control

diminish peopleCs aility to direct their attention and eha-ior in purposi-e &ays*

educed working memory capacity

educed creativity! flexibility! and speed

Indi-iduals ecome -igilance to pre-ent failure* People in a state of -igilance, ho&e-er, tend to e+hiit poorerperformance on tas's that rely on creati-ity, openness, fle+iility, and speed

"xcess effort or attentionDor e+ample, performance on highly procedurali9ed or &ellpracticed tas's can e harmed &hen people increasethe attention or memory resources allocated to such tas's*


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se a different language &hen possile

Reframe the Tas'


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/ddressing the fairness of the test &hile retaining its diagnostic nature canalle-iate stereotype threat in any testing situation* Specifically, testingprocedures could include a rief statement that the test, although

diagnostic of underlying mathematics aility, is se+fair !or racefair$*


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%eemphasi9e threatened social identities

/ study for the Hducational Testing Ser-ice !HTS$

pro-ided e-idence that simply mo-ing standarddemographic in.uiries aout ethnicity and gender to theend of the test resulted in significantly higherperformance for &omen ta'ing the /P calculus test*


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Hmphasi9ing high standards &ith assurances aoutcapaility for meeting them

;onstructi-e feedac' appears most effecti-e &hen it

communicates high standards for performance ut alsoassurances that the student is capale of meeting those highstandards !;ohen, Steele, ( Ross, 1222$* Such feedac'

reduces percei-ed e-aluator ias, increases moti-ation, andpreser-es domainidentification* 8igh standards andassurances of capaility appear to signal that students &ill note @udged stereotypically and that their ailities and

elonging7 are assumed rather than .uestioned*

strongly believe that you'll do well if you take your time,concentrate and check your work )ust rela* and do your best

raises the test a-erage in my classes y :3*
http://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_cohen_steele_ross.htmlhttp://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_cohen_steele_ross.html


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Pro-iding e+ternal attriutions for difficulty

In"##3 study y 5ohns, Schmader and Jartens, students&ere told, KitCs important to 'eep in mind that if you arefeeling an+ious &hile ta'ing this test, this an+iety could ethe result of these negati-e stereotypes that are &idely'no&n in society and ha-e nothing to do &ith your actual

aility to do &ell on the test*K This instruction eliminatedstereotype threat effects in &omenCs math performance*

/nother study !5ohns, In9lict (Schmader, "##)$sho&ed thattelling indi-iduals under stereotype threat that theirperformance &ill not e hindered and might e-en eimpro-ed y the an+ious feelings they might e

e+periencing eliminated the performance decrementsassociated &ith stereotype threat* These studies indicatethat pro-iding indi-iduals &ith an e+ternal attriutions oreffecti-e strategies for regulating an+iety and arousal candisarm stereotype threat*


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Hmphasi9ing an incremental -ie& of intelligence

Research has sho&n that indi-iduals &ith a fi*ed mindset!eithertemporarily or chronically$ are more li'ely to e+perience and to eaffected eha-iorally y stereotype threat !Goff, Steele, ( %a-ies, "##)$, ut that, con-ersely, a gro&thmindset -ie& can reduce stereotype threat*/ronson, Dried, and Good !"##"$had undergraduates &rite a

letter of encouragement to a younger student &ho &ase+periencing academic struggles* Blac' students &ho &ereencouraged to -ie& intelligence as malleale, Kli'e a muscleK thatcan gro& &ith &or' and effort, &ere more li'ely to indicate greateren@oyment and -aluing of education, and they recei-ed highergrades that semester* Good, /ronson, and In9licht !"##:$ sho&edsimilar effects &ith Lth grade students &ho recei-ed mentoring

from college students* Jentoring emphasi9ing e+pandaleintelligence and e+ternal attriutions for difficulty produced higherreading scores and eliminated gender differences in mathematicsperformance*
http://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_goff_steele_davies.htmlhttp://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_aronson_fried_good.htmlhttp://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_aronson_fried_good.htmlhttp://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/bibliography_goff_steele_davies.html


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/dditional Resources

httpMNN&&&*apa*orgNresearchNactionNstereotype*asp+

httpMNN&&&*theatlantic*comNmaga9ineNarchi-eN1222N#)Nthinicestereotypethreatandlac'collegestudentsN:#6FF:N

httpMNN&&&*npr*orgN"#1"N#LN1"N13FFF6::LNstereotypethreat&hy&omen.uitscience@os

httpMNN&&&*reducingstereotypethreat*orgN

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Stereotype Threat.ppt