Stereotype threat is when people start to believe negative things about themselves because of what other people say or think about them (Mesagno, 2019). This can cause them to do worse on tasks because they are worried about confirming these negative stereotypes (Steele & Aronson, 1995). For example, if someone thinks that a group they are a part of is not smart, they might do worse on a test that is labeled as an “intelligence test” compared to a test that is labeled as a “problem-solving task”. This is because they are worried about confirming the stereotype that they are not smart (Schmader & Jones, 2003). Chalabaev et al. (2013) found that stereotypes can affect task performance even when the stereotype is only mentioned right before the task. Stereotype threat can affect people in different areas, like school, sports, and work (Mesagno, 2019). Research suggests that stereotype threat can be even worse for people who really identify with the group that is being stereotyped or when the task is really hard (Hermann & Vollmeyer, 2016)
Chalabaev, A., Sarrazin, P., Fontayne, P., Boiche ́ , J., & Cle ́ment-Guillotin, C. (2013). The influence of sex stereo- types and gender roles on participation and performance in sport and exercise: Review and future directions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14, 136144.
Hermann, J. M., & Vollmeyer, R. (2016). “Girls should cook, rather than kick!” Female soccer players under stereotype threat. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 16, 91101.
Mesagno, C. (2019). In D. Hackfort, R. J. Schinke, & B. Strauss (Eds.), Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts. Academic Press.
Schmader, T., & Johns, M. (2003). Converging evidence that stereotype threat reduces working memory capacity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 440452.
Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797811.
