Context Moderates Affirmation Effects on the Ethnic Achievement Gap

Protzko, John; Aronson, Joshua

doi:10.1177/1948550616646426

Cited by 39Social and Intergroup PsychologyEducation, Achievement, and GiftednessCareer Development and Diversity

Context Moderates Affirmation Effects on the Ethnic Achievement Gap

Protzko, John, Aronson, Joshua·2016·Social Psychological and Personality Science

DOI 10.1177/1948550616646426

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Abstract

We attempted to replicate a self-affirmation intervention that produced a 40% reduction in the academic achievement gap among at-risk students. The intervention was designed as a protection against stereotype threat—, which creates stress and suppresses the performance, engagement, and learning of students stereotyped as intellectually inferior. In previous research, Black and Hispanic students who engaged in a values-affirmation exercise significantly improved their academic performance over the course of a school semester. We attempted to replicate these salutary effects in both an inner-city school and a more wealthy suburban school—contexts not tested in the original research. Despite employing the same materials, we found no effect of the affirmation on academic performance. We discuss these results in terms of the possibility that negatively stereotyped students benefit most from self-affirmations in environments where their numbers portray them neither as clearly “majority” nor minority.

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Presenting values affirmation exercises as part of an external research study rather than something teachers want the students to complete may contribute to variations in effects.
“presenting the exercises as part of an external research study rather than something teachers want the students to complete (Protzko & Aronson, 2016)”
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Authors: Protzko, J., & Aronson, J.
Affiliations: University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
New York University (US)
Corresponding author: Protzko, John
ORCID: Protzko, John
Venue: Social Psychological and Personality Science
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2016-07-07
Volume: 7
Issue: 6
Pages: 500-507
ISSN: 1948-5506 (ISSN-L)
1948-5514
DOI: 10.1177/1948550616646426
OpenAlex: W2343356300
Cited by: 39
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2
FWCI: 16.20
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Social Psychological and Personality Science (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 › Safety Research › Career Development and Diversity
Keywords: self-affirmation, values affirmation, ethnic achievement gap, stereotype threat, replication, at-risk students, Black students, Hispanic students, school context, urban schools, suburban schools, academic performance

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Context Moderates Affirmation Effects on the Ethnic Achievement Gap

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