1Exploring Stereotype Exploring Stereotype ThreatThreatBarry Johnson, CalSWECBarry Johnson, CalSWECRobin Leake, University of DenverRobin Leake, University of DenverCindy Parry, Consultant Cindy Parry, Consultant A Simple Memory TestA Simple Memory TestThe next slide will show 15 numbers and The next slide will show 15 numbers and letters in succession. letters in succession. You will have 10 seconds to review the You will have 10 seconds to review the numbers and letters.numbers and letters.You may NOT write them down. You may NOT write them down. We will then wait another 15 seconds, and We will then wait another 15 seconds, and then you will write down the numbers and then you will write down the numbers and letters that you remember, in the order letters that you remember, in the order they were presented.they were presented.The Numbers and LettersThe Numbers and Letters716F43PX 9356D JX7429V2Now wait until the next Now wait until the next slide before you begin slide before you begin writing. . . writing. . . Now write down the Now write down the numbers in sequence.numbers in sequence.““OneOne’’s reputation, whether false or true, s reputation, whether false or true, cannot be hammered, hammered, cannot be hammered, hammered, hammered, into onehammered, into one’’s head without doing s head without doing something to onesomething to one’’s characters character””----Gordon Gordon AllportAllport, 1954 , 1954 The Nature of PrejudiceThe Nature of Prejudice3What is Stereotype Threat?What is Stereotype Threat?The situational pressure that a person can The situational pressure that a person can feel when he or she is at risk of confirming feel when he or she is at risk of confirming or being seen to confirm a negative or being seen to confirm a negative stereotype about his or her group stereotype about his or her group ----Claude Steele, 1999Claude Steele, 1999Research FindingsResearch FindingsWhen a standardized verbal test was presented When a standardized verbal test was presented to Black students at Stanford as diagnostic of to Black students at Stanford as diagnostic of intelligence, Black students performed worse intelligence, Black students performed worse than White students. than White students. Black students performed just as well when the Black students performed just as well when the test was presented as NONDIAGNOSTIC of test was presented as NONDIAGNOSTIC of ability ability ----Steele & Aronson, 1995Steele & Aronson, 1995Other ResearchOther ResearchTypes of stereotype threat related to intellectual Types of stereotype threat related to intellectual ability affect test performance of multiple ability affect test performance of multiple groups:groups:WomenWomen’’s math scores s math scores (Spencer, Steele & Quinn, 1999)(Spencer, Steele & Quinn, 1999)White menWhite men’’s math scores compared with Asian s math scores compared with Asian men men (Aronson, 1999)(Aronson, 1999)Latino studentsLatino students’’GRE performance GRE performance (Steele, Spencer, (Steele, Spencer, Aronson, 2002)Aronson, 2002)Lower SES students Lower SES students ((CroizetCroizet& Claire, 1998)& Claire, 1998)More than 100 published experiments showing More than 100 published experiments showing impairing effect of stereotype threat on cognitive impairing effect of stereotype threat on cognitive test performancetest performance4Inducing Negative StereotypesInducing Negative StereotypesFraming a test as diagnostic of abilityFraming a test as diagnostic of abilityIncreasing test difficultyIncreasing test difficultyTelling participants that test has shown Telling participants that test has shown gender/ethnic differencesgender/ethnic differencesAsking participants to identify their Asking participants to identify their minority statusminority statusThose with high confidence and high Those with high confidence and high performance expectations are most performance expectations are most susceptiblesusceptibleHow does this work?How does this work?Stereotype Threat acts on fears of stereotypeStereotype Threat acts on fears of stereotype--based based devaluation by othersdevaluation by othersUnderperformance due to anxiety that one will conform Underperformance due to anxiety that one will conform to the negative stereotype. The anxiety manifests itself to the negative stereotype. The anxiety manifests itself in various ways, including distraction and increased body in various ways, including distraction and increased body temperature, all of which diminish performance level temperature, all of which diminish performance level (Steele, 2004) (Steele, 2004) Remedy: Create an environment that people can trust Remedy: Create an environment that people can trust to be free of threatsto be free of threatsReducing Negative StereotypesReducing Negative StereotypesCharacteristics (Race/ ethnicity/ gender/ Characteristics (Race/ ethnicity/ gender/ age/religion of experimenter can provide age/religion of experimenter can provide stereotype disconfirming evidencestereotype disconfirming evidence––Marx & Marx & RuggerioRuggerio, 1999) , 1999) If Stereotype threat is the If Stereotype threat is the ““default default settingsetting””, institutions must promote identity , institutions must promote identity safety safety (Steele, 2004)(Steele, 2004)5GeneralizabiltyGeneralizabiltyFactors that affect the strength of the Factors that affect the strength of the threat include:threat include:––Testing instructionsTesting instructions––Individual differences (strength identification Individual differences (strength identification with stereotyped group; ability to cope with with stereotyped group; ability to cope with stress, personal theories of intelligence, stress, personal theories of intelligence, identification with material)identification with material)––Strength of cues in the setting Strength of cues in the setting ––Difficulty and Difficulty and ““stakesstakes””of testof testAnd now about that test. . .And now about that test. . .The Numbers and LettersThe Numbers and Letters716F43PX 9356D JX7429V6Stereotype Threat and the California Common Core Training Evaluation Conditions that may induce stereotype threat The task is associated with the stereotype of poor performance by a particular