S5 Lesson Stereotype threat

Riddle A father and son are in a horrible car crash that critically injures both. They are rushed to the hospital. Just as the boy is about to go under the knife, the surgeon says: “I can’t operate - that boy is my son!” Explain.

Stereotypes and assumptions On your worksheet: Complete the three questions Discuss in pairs or small groups

What is stereotype threat? Stereotype threat is being at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about a group you belong to. It’s the idea that our ability worsens when we are reminded of a negative stereotype about one of the groups we belong to.

What is stereotype threat? When psychologists have studied mathematical ability they have found: Women perform worse on maths tests when they think the test will produce gender differences. White men perform worse on maths tests when they think they are competing with Asians.

What is stereotype threat? When psychologists have studied academic ability they have found: Black American students perform worse than white American students on tests when they think that the test is measuring their abilities. But when black students are told that the test is not measuring their abilities they perform just as well as white students.

What is stereotype threat? When psychologists have studied sporting ability they have found: Black athletes do worse than white athletes when they are led to believe that a game of miniature golf tests ‘sport strategic intelligence.’ When the test is framed as a measure of ‘natural athletic ability’ the white athletes do worse than the black athletes.

Overcoming stereotype threat Amira is about to take a physics exam. She has heard that girls usually don’t do as well as boys in this exam. Most of the other students in her class are boys and she sometimes thinks that physics is really a boys’ subject, and she doesn’t belong. How can she overcome stereotype threat? Images used under license from Shutterstock.com

Overcoming stereotype threat Technique How Amira could apply it Think about a role model Think of a female friend who has done really well in physics Make another identity salient Don’t think, ‘I am a girl and girls aren’t very good at physics’. Instead think, ‘I go to science club and people who do that are usually good at physics.’ Adopt a growth mindset Amira could tell herself that ability is not innate – it comes from hard work and finding the right strategy for learning. Use self-evidence She could remember times when she’s done well in physics class or exams.

Overcoming stereotype threat Choose your own example and fill in the worksheet. Think about some of the techniques recommended by psychologists: Thinking about a role model Making another identity salient Adopting a growth mindset Using self-evidence