In one study, two groups of African Americans were given the same test. Group A was told it was an intelligence test, while Group B was told that the problems on the test were not meant to assess them. The results were that __________.
A) consistent with stereotype threat claims, Group A did worse than Group B
B) consistent with stereotype threat claims, the groups did equally well
C) consistent with stereotype threat claims, Group B did worse than Group A
D) contrary to stereotype threat claims, both groups did equally well

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat refers to the risk of conforming to stereotypes about one's social group. In this case, telling Group A that the test was an intelligence test likely activated concerns about fulfilling negative stereotypes about African Americans' intellectual abilities, leading to poorer performance compared to Group B, who did not have these concerns activated.

In One Study, Two Groups of African Americans Were Given