Cited by 8,460Social and Intergroup PsychologyEducation, Achievement, and GiftednessRacial and Ethnic Identity Research

Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans.

Steele, Claude M., Aronson, Joshua·1995·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Abstract

Stereotype threat is being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group. Studies 1 and 2 varied the stereotype vulnerability of Black participants taking a difficult verbal test by varying whether or not their performance was ostensibly diagnostic of ability, and thus, whether or not they were at risk of fulfilling the racial stereotype about their intellectual ability. Reflecting the pressure of this vulnerability, Blacks underperformed in relation to Whites in the ability-diagnostic condition but not in the nondiagnostic condition (with Scholastic Aptitude Tests controlled). Study 3 validated that ability-diagnosticity cognitively activated the racial stereotype in these participants and motivated them not to conform to it, or to be judged by it. Study 4 showed that mere salience of the stereotype could impair Blacks' performance even when the test was not ability diagnostic. The role of stereotype vulnerability in the standardized test performance of ability-stigmatized groups is discussed.

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Crossref · 10.1037/0022-3514.69.5.797

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  • Stereotype threat negatively impacts test performance among African Americans, especially when the test is presented as a measure of intellectual ability.

    “Steele & Aronson (1995) found that”
  • Bringing the social identities and/or stereotypes of students of certain typically low-status groups to mind can reduce their ability and desire to learn, their motivation and persistence on academic tasks, and even among high achievers their commitment to studies and intentions to pursue related careers.

    “Other studies have found that bringing the social identities and/or the stereotypes of students of certain (typically low-status) groups to mind can reduce their ability and desire to learn (Lyons, Simms, Begolli, & Richland, 2018;V. J. Taylor & Walton, 2011), their motivation and persistence on academic tasks (Steele & Aronson, 1995) and, even among high achievers, their commitment to their”
  • Social identity threat and/or identity incompatibility have been found to reduce academic performance of Black and Latino students, lower social class students, children of immigrants, women and girls in stereotypically masculine subjects, and boys in stereotypically feminine subjects.

    “Social identity threat and/or identity incompatibility have been found to reduce the performance of Black and Latino students in U.S. schools and colleges (Chu & Brown, 2017;Gonzales, Blanton, & Williams, 2002;Steele & Aronson, 1995); students and young children of lower social class in the United States (Désert, Préaux, & Jund, 2009;B. Spencer & Castano, 2007), France (Croizet & Claire, 1998),”
  • The performance of Black students dropped when the test was described as assessing their intelligence and thus became relevant to the prevalent negative stereotype about their academic ability.

    “but that the performance of the Black students dropped when the test was described as assessing their intelligence and thus became relevant to the prevalent negative stereotype about their academic ability.”
  • Negative stereotypes are also thought to explain the finding that describing a test in terms that make evaluation possible-and thus the possibility of confirming the negative stereotype-also reduces performance among low-status groups.

    “They are also thought to explain the finding that describing a test in terms that make evaluation possible-and thus the possibility of confirming the negative stereotype-also reduces performance among low-status groups (Steele & Aronson, 1995).”

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Authors
Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J.
Affiliations
Stanford University (US)
Venue
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Published
1995-11
Volume
69
Issue
5
Pages
797-811
ISSN
  • 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1315
OpenAlex
W4293105157
Cited by
8,181
References
34
Citations by year
2026: 211 · 2025: 354 · 2024: 291 · 2023: 375 · 2022: 374 · 2021: 432 · 2020: 490 · 2019: 527 · 2018: 430 · 2017: 419 · 2016: 460 · 2015: 441 · 2014: 432 · 2013: 345 · 2012: 376
FWCI
139.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
Keywords
stereotype threat, African Americans, standardized test performance, racial stereotypes, test-taking motivation, racial achievement gap

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