Understanding and Addressing Stereotype Threat

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Causes

Examples

Prevalence

Tips to Combat

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For example, when both African American and White college students were given a standardized test and told it was a diagnostic tool used to measure verbal ability, the African American students performed significantly worse than they did when they were told the test was a non-evaluative exercise.

This article will go over what causes stereotype threat, list examples of the phenomenon, and discuss the prevalence of stereotype threat. It will wrap up with a discussion of some things that will combat stereotype threat.

What Causes Stereotype Threat

Anystereotype relevant to a particular situationcan cause a stereotype threat in the individual even if they themselves don’t believe it. This is because the cognitive load of worrying about the stereotype is so high.

“When something triggers worry or anxiety, part of your brain that typically is operating smoothly, your prefrontal cortex, …gets an extra burden added to it,” explainedJoshua Aronson, an associate professor of applied psychology, Director of the Mindful Education Lab at New York University, and co-originator of stereotype threat. “It’s like how in addition to solving this math problem or difficult verbal problem, I have to solve the problem of what does my extra stress here mean? And that translates to reduced bandwidth for the brain, reduced working memory….”

In addition to poorer performance on a test or other evaluative problem, stereotype threat can also lead to disengagement or reduced effort,anxiety, lower creativity, and lower speed on a task.

It’s like how in addition to solving this math problem or difficult verbal problem, I have to solve the problem of what does my extra stress here mean? And that translates to reduced bandwidth for the brain, reduced working memory….—JOSHUA ARONSON, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY

It’s like how in addition to solving this math problem or difficult verbal problem, I have to solve the problem of what does my extra stress here mean? And that translates to reduced bandwidth for the brain, reduced working memory….

—JOSHUA ARONSON, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY

Examples of Stereotype Threat

Examples of stereotype threats are everywhere. The theory originated with African Americans’ inability to take a test as well as their White counterparts if a stereotype was triggered, but many other examples have arisen, including:

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Prevalence of Stereotype Threat

There are numerousexamples of stereotype threatsacross many realms, from school and work to sports. While there aren’t precise numbers for how prevalent stereotype threat is, anywhere that a stereotype is brought up either directly or indirectly about a given group has the potential to evoke stereotype threat.

Even worse, “a lot of times people come out of these situations… with a slight confirmation of the stereotype,” says Aronson. “They’re taking a standardized test; they don’t do well on it. The stereotype guides their attribution [and they’ll interpret it] as ‘I’m not that smart at this,’ and… they’ll avoid the work, they’ll avoid those situations that reveal their weakness.” So it’s in our best interest to combat stereotype threat in the various places where it exists.

Combatting Stereotype Threat

Aronson says the key to combatting stereotype threat is agrowth mindset, which says that your skills aren’t set in stone and will improve over time with work. Unfortunately, that growth mindset has been watered down to the point that it no longer has much impact. “Instead of embodying my belief in your growth, I give you a little slogan that says you should believe in your own growth. That’s not going to do much…,” Aronson explains.

They’re taking a standardized test; they don’t do well on it. The stereotype guides their attribution [and they’ll interpret it] as ‘I’m not that smart at this,’ and… they’ll avoid the work, they’ll avoid those situations that reveal their weakness.—JOSHUA ARONSON

They’re taking a standardized test; they don’t do well on it. The stereotype guides their attribution [and they’ll interpret it] as ‘I’m not that smart at this,’ and… they’ll avoid the work, they’ll avoid those situations that reveal their weakness.

—JOSHUA ARONSON

Still, stereotype threat can be improved if we have relationships that combat it. “Stereotypes play a big role in the fact of not knowing people very well,” Aronson says. “But in a small class, where you really can get to know kids, stereotypes don’t matter. What really matters is who you know the child to be, how you treat them, how they treat you, what your relationship is, that transcends everything.”

This is the same in the realm of work too. If you can have a good relationship with your boss and co-workers, you can have a better time at work.

To combat stereotype threat further, Ariel Landrum, a licensed marriage and family therapist and Clinical Director atGuidance Teletherapy, recommends the following:

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4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Aronson J, Steele CM. Stereotypes and the Fragility of Academic Competence, Motivation, and Self-Concept. In: Elliot, AJ, Dweck, CS, eds.Handbook of Competence and Motivation. The Guilford Press; 2005:436-456.Bogdewiecz A.Avoiding Stereotype Threat in the Workplace. Association for Talent Development. 2021.Appel M, Kronberger N, Aronson J.Stereotype threat impairs ability building: Effects on test preparation among women in science and technology.Eur J Soc Psychol. 2011;41(7):904-913. doi:10.1002/ejsp.835Zacher H, von Hippel C. Weight-based stereotype threat in the workplace: Consequences for employees with overweight or obesity.Int J Obes. 2022;46(4):767-773. doi:10.1038/s41366-021-01052-5

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Aronson J, Steele CM. Stereotypes and the Fragility of Academic Competence, Motivation, and Self-Concept. In: Elliot, AJ, Dweck, CS, eds.Handbook of Competence and Motivation. The Guilford Press; 2005:436-456.Bogdewiecz A.Avoiding Stereotype Threat in the Workplace. Association for Talent Development. 2021.Appel M, Kronberger N, Aronson J.Stereotype threat impairs ability building: Effects on test preparation among women in science and technology.Eur J Soc Psychol. 2011;41(7):904-913. doi:10.1002/ejsp.835Zacher H, von Hippel C. Weight-based stereotype threat in the workplace: Consequences for employees with overweight or obesity.Int J Obes. 2022;46(4):767-773. doi:10.1038/s41366-021-01052-5

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Aronson J, Steele CM. Stereotypes and the Fragility of Academic Competence, Motivation, and Self-Concept. In: Elliot, AJ, Dweck, CS, eds.Handbook of Competence and Motivation. The Guilford Press; 2005:436-456.Bogdewiecz A.Avoiding Stereotype Threat in the Workplace. Association for Talent Development. 2021.Appel M, Kronberger N, Aronson J.Stereotype threat impairs ability building: Effects on test preparation among women in science and technology.Eur J Soc Psychol. 2011;41(7):904-913. doi:10.1002/ejsp.835Zacher H, von Hippel C. Weight-based stereotype threat in the workplace: Consequences for employees with overweight or obesity.Int J Obes. 2022;46(4):767-773. doi:10.1038/s41366-021-01052-5

Aronson J, Steele CM. Stereotypes and the Fragility of Academic Competence, Motivation, and Self-Concept. In: Elliot, AJ, Dweck, CS, eds.Handbook of Competence and Motivation. The Guilford Press; 2005:436-456.

Bogdewiecz A.Avoiding Stereotype Threat in the Workplace. Association for Talent Development. 2021.

Appel M, Kronberger N, Aronson J.Stereotype threat impairs ability building: Effects on test preparation among women in science and technology.Eur J Soc Psychol. 2011;41(7):904-913. doi:10.1002/ejsp.835

Zacher H, von Hippel C. Weight-based stereotype threat in the workplace: Consequences for employees with overweight or obesity.Int J Obes. 2022;46(4):767-773. doi:10.1038/s41366-021-01052-5

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