Stereotype Discussion 1 and 2

Stereotype Discussion 1 and 2

Discussion #1 – Stereotype Threat Definition

Stereotype threat is “the risk of confirming as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one’s group” (Steele & Aronson, 1995). The stereotype theory posits that students of African American descent underperform when they take standardized tests because they have concerns and worry about conforming to the intellectual inferiority linked to Blacks during the testing situation. Advances in gaining insights into the effects of stereotype threat still fail to clearly explain the exact mechanism involved. Several researched phenomena have been utilized in defining the stereotype threat unitary concept. Literature has shown that stereotype threat leads to poor performance in tests because of anxiety, psychological arousal, motivational deficits, cognitive disruptions, or even maladaptive testing behaviors that stem from one’s fear of conforming to the social group’s negative stereotype. It is worth noting that each of the said mechanisms tends to be subjected to independent study. This fragmented approach results in conceptual confusion when attempting to study stereotype threat.

On a divergent note, it is also possible that stereotype threat can be attributed to other components. Consistent with this view, studies on interventions that address stereotype threat have raised more questions on the role it plays in Black students’ performance outcomes. In a study by Aronson et al. (2002), college students of Black descent were subjected to an intervention designed to view intelligence as malleable or expandable. Contrary to what the researchers predicted, the study showed that the intervention within groups improved academic performance, though it did not alter the Black students’ stereotype threat reports; the intervention’s impact was not significant in the GPAs gap with lower grades recorded for Black students; and the beliefs based on malleability failed to mediate the link between the intervention of malleability and afterwards, the GPA scores.

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References

Aronson, J., Burgess, D., Phelan, S. M., & Juarez, L. (2013). Unhealthy interactions: The role of stereotype threat in health disparities. American Journal of Public Health, 103(1), 50–56.

Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of personality and social psychology, 69(5), 797.

Discussion #2 – Stereotype Threat Articles

Racism is a common occurrence and experience for human beings. Today, non-white individuals tend to experience racism while the white population discriminates against other races. People of color, specifically blacks, are common victims of racism. Being black today in a dominantly white nation tends to place one at a disadvantage. Black people are associated with higher levels of poverty, low intellectual abilities, less luxurious work positions, higher levels of disease incidences, poor health outcomes, poor performance at school, a high likelihood of involvement in criminal activities, and poor access to health care. Furthermore, black women face more stereotype threats and tend to withstand the worst of racism and chauvinism. For instance, black women are more likely to die when giving birth based on their biological makeup (The Lancet, 2020). On the same note, black females tend to perform poorly in Sciences and Mathematics due to low IQ (Steele, 2010). These stereotype threats pile pressure on the black females, leading to the expected performance or result due to frustration.

According to tests conducted to determine the existence and effects of stereotype threats, black women were found to perform poorly in academics. The white students performed better on a GRE test than their counterparts. Besides performing poorly on the Math test, the black female students also posted poor records in verbal reasoning; these results changed when the tests changed their names to lessen the pressure of testing their intellectual capacity (Steele, 2010).

Researchers established that stereotype threats become dominant and effective when certain aspects create a bias against a certain group. For instance, the GRE tests could have been racially biased, increasing the pressure that led to the negative performance of blacks, especially women (Steele, 2010). When these aspects are eliminated, the performance of both groups improves. Secondly, stereotype threats tend to lead to avoidance of the dominant group and/or the activities (Miller, 2019). For instance, most women may avoid activities such as sports and Science subjects or careers that require high IQ or are thought to belong to men and whites. Thirdly, offering equal treatment to all individuals and recognizing each based on their uniqueness as opposed to common stereotypes is sufficient to eliminate the threat and improve results. For instance, improved health care for all women led to better outcomes for pregnant black women (The Lancet, 2020). Thus, these findings confirm that stereotype threats are created and sustained by human beings and lack any genetic inherence as casual explanations project.

I have experienced a low intellect stereotype threat, which reduced my engagement in sciences and mathematics. I was exposed to men in science and mathematical careers from an early age. Most men were white, while very few blacks appeared successful in their careers. At school, males always lead in the subjects. As a result, I performed poorly in the same subjects, avoided them when the choice was provided, and veered off careers that demanded excellence in these subjects.

Black women have often experienced a similar stereotype. This is evident in the lauding that occurs when a black woman excels in the discipline. In the movie, ‘Self Made,’ the main actor, Octavia Spencer, a black female, ventures into the manufacturing business, which men dominate. However, her persistence confirms that black women can maneuver the complex industry involving high intellect and inspiring viewers. The movie is filled with racial and gender stereotype threats that place people in their right positions (Wearing, 2020). This movie is a depiction of the world today.

References

Miller, A. L. (2019). Stereotype threat as a psychological feature of work-life conflict. Group Processes &Intergroup Relations, 22(2), 302-320.

Steele, C. M. (2010). Whistling Vivaldi. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

The Lancet. (2020). The art of medicine. Perspectives, 395, 1604-1605.

Wearing, G. (Director). (2020). Self-Made [Motion Picture].

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Stereotype Discussion 1 and 2

Discussion 1 – Stereotype Threat Definition

Steele (2010) reports that stereotype threat affects many types of identity groups across multiple performance areas:

The effect has been observed in women, African Americans, white males, Latino Americans, third-grade American school girls, Asian-American students, European males aspiring to be clinical psychologists (under the threat of negative stereotypes about men’s ability to understand feelings), French college students, German grade school girls, U.S. soldiers on army bases in Italy, women business school students, white and black

Stereotype Discussion 1 and 2

athletes, older Americans, and so on. It has been shown to affect many performances: math, verbal, analytic, and IQ test performance, golf putting, reaction time performance, language usage aggressiveness in negotiations, memory performance, the height of athletic jumping, and so on. (pp. 97–98)

Define stereotype threat. Use Steele and Aronson’s 1995 article, “Stereotype Threat and the Intellectual Test Performance of African Americans,” to summarize one group’s experience with stereotype threat. (For example, African-Americans, whites, Asians, women, older persons, or lower socioeconomic class.)

Reference

Steele, C. (2010). Whistling Vivaldi: How stereotypes affect us and what we can do. W. W. Norton & Co.

Note: Please write more on Black/African Americans that is my focus.

Discussion #2 – Stereotype Threat Articles

According to Steele (2010), there have been over 15 years of research in the area of stereotype threat. The Capella library holds over 44,000 entries with stereotype threat in the title. Refer to the journal articles you located in the Unit 8 study. Summarize the articles’ discussion of stereotype threat:

1. Describe the population that is experiencing stereotype threat.
2. Discuss the performance area of the stereotype threat (math, verbal, analytic, and IQ test performance, language, sports, and so on).
3. Summarize viewpoints or findings of the author (or authors) regarding stereotype threat.
4. Discuss any personal experience of stereotype threat you may have in this performance area.
5. Indicate whether you believe the disenfranchised racial, ethnic, religious, or cultural group you identified for your course project has ever experienced stereotype threat in this performance area.

I will also add the two selected journal articles and the textbook.

Note: Please write more on Black/African Americans that is my focus.