Stereotype Threat

Osborne, Jason W. "Testing Stereotype Threat: Does Anxiety Explain Race
and Sex Differences in Achievement?" Contemporary Educational Psychology 26, 291– 310 (2001).

This study investigated the arguments of Claude Steele that persons who belong to a group that has been traditionally stereotyped as academically inferior are less successful in part because of the stereotype itself. These individuals experience more anxiety for fear of personal failure AND for fear of reaffirming the negative stereotype of the group. These groups include both minorities and women. The study took a sample of high school seniors that represent the national population and tested the theory. The result was conclusive evidence that academic achievement is impacted by this anxiety and that math performance was also affected to some degree. Some 41% of performance disparity was explained the anxiety experienced by groups threatened by stereotypes.

This study made clear, logical sense to me. I truly believe that all students have a great potential and it always seemed like their was something missing in the educational achievement gap explanation. School systems that strive for equal opportunities often still see large racial disparities and elevated anxiety levels would explain the issue. If a person sits down to take a test with a clouded, anxious mind that somewhat expects to fail, they are clearly at a disadvantage compared to a peer who sits down thinking that they are expected to succeed. It seems that this greatly different perspective of the risk involved in academics could easily translate to anxiety and thus ability to perform. Students in my class who sit for a test and immediately exclaim "I don't know what to do." often extremely poorly because their anxiety over the test prevents them from even making an honest attempt at it. I think that the racially-motivated anxiety is a special case of that that merits more research.