|
Gonzales, Blanton, & Williams, 2002 Stereotype
threat can occur based on any social identity where
there exists a stereotype of poor performance. This paper addresses the risk of stereotype threat based
on both gender and ethnicity experienced by Latina
women. In this experiment, White and Latino/a
undergraduates were asked to complete a difficult test
measuring mathematical and analytical ability. Half the participants were told that the test was a good
indicator of their "actual abilities and limitations"
(stereotype threat for Latinas) whereas the other half heard no mention about ability
(control).
Latinos performed more poorly on the test when it was
described as diagnostic, but Whites revealed no
difference in performance in the diagnostic and nondiagnostic conditions. Women showed a similar
pattern such that performance was lower when the test
was described as diagnostic of ability. Both
Latino men and women showed lower performance under
stereotype threat, and Latinos showed greater evidence
of stereotype threat based on gender than did whites.
Back to top | Previous
Page
|