Stereotype threat
Stereotype threat is when a person believes that he or she is a victim or a target of prejudice belief. This belief then causes anxiety, which makes cognitive processes work less efficiently.
The following example will explain how an individuals performance can be affected by stereotype threat. If I was about to give a speech but I was experiencing stereotype threat, I would be thinking that the audience does not like me because of my nationality and thinks that my speech will be bad. This would create anxiety in me and I would lose focus and thus I would forget my speech.
Stereotype threat is harmful because it negatively affects thinking. It can affect cognitive processes that are required for everyday life such as memory and logic (Schmader, 2010). In addition, it can close opportunities that can benefit a person such as being accepted into a college (Soares, 2012). How would you guys change this?
Claude Steele's book "Whistling Vivaldi" lays out stereotype threat and includes information on effective ways to combat it. Some basic principles:
* promote a growth mindset about intelligence - people who think of intellect as innate are more vulnerable than those who think of it as a muscle one can build though "exercise"
* celebrate and welcome diversity
* be aware of possible stereotype triggers Stereotype threat becomes important when the stereotype is brought to someone's attention at a time when they need to focus their efforts on the task at hand. Avoiding even subtle reminders of the existence of a stereotype, whether they are verbal or even as subtle as the pictures hanging in a room where there is an exam, can help reduce the likelihood of triggering stereotype-based worry
