An Examination of Age-Based Stereotype Threat About Cognitive Decline

Abstract

Abstract"Stereotype threat" is often thought of as a singular construct, with moderators and mechanisms that are stable across groups and domains. However, this is not always true. To illustrate this, the current review focuses on the stereotype threat that older adults face about their cognitive abilities. Using Shapiro and Neuberg's (2007) Multi-Threat Framework, I first provide evidence that this is a self-concept threat, and not a group-reputation threat. Because this differs from the form(s) of threat experienced by other groups (e.g., the threat that minority students face about their intellectual abilities), the moderators of threat observed in other groups (i.e., group identification) do not always generalize to age-based stereotype threat about cognitive decline. Looking beyond the form(s) of threat elicited, this review also provides evidence that the mechanisms underlying stereotype threat effects may vary across the lifespan. Due to age-related improvements in emotion regulation abilities, stereotype threat does not seem to reduce older adults' executive control resources. Overall, this review highlights the need to approach the concept of stereotype threat with more granularity. This will allow us to design more effective stereotype threat interventions. It will also shed light on why certain effects "fail to replicate" across domains or groups.

Negative Aging Stereotypes Disrupt both the Selection and Execution of Strategies in Older Adults

“…These effects of stereotype threat on strategy use and strategy execution are easily accounted for by assuming that stereotype threat taxes working-memory resources [16], and this interferes more with more demanding strategies, like imagery, relative to less demanding strategies, like repetition. Because stereotype threat taxes working memory, this leaves fewer resources available to select and execute strategies, like imagery, that are known to place heavier demands on executive control resources than easier strategies, like repetition, especially in older adults [38].…”

“…For example, whereas some findings suggest that stereotype threat impairs older adults’ executive control mechanisms [6], others did not find this [18]. As another example, several studies found that older adults’ underperformance is due to the mismatch between the defensive self-regulatory response (a prevention focus) induced by stereotype threat and the implicit gains-based (promotion focus) structure of traditional cognitive tests [15]. However, it is unknown whether executive control mechanisms and regulatory focus both or uniquely contribute to effects of age-based stereotype threat, whether other mechanisms also intervene, and, most importantly, whether older adults accomplish the tasks under threat and control conditions with the same mechanisms.…”

Stereotype threat may not impact women's inhibitory control or mathematical performance: Providing support for the null hypothesis

“…group-as-target; Barber, 2017;Shapiro & Neuberg, 2007;Shapiro et al, 2013). self-as-target) or social identity (i.e.…”

“…self-as-target) or social identity (i.e. group-as-target; Barber, 2017;Shapiro & Neuberg, 2007;Shapiro et al, 2013). The multi-threat framework (Shapiro & Neuberg, 2007) proposes that women may experience 'self-as-target' stereotype threat when they perceive that stereotype-consistent performance will be judged as self-characteristic of personal aptitude.…”

Stereotype Threat May Not Impact Women’s Inhibitory Control or Mathematical Performance: Providing Support for the Null Hypothesis

“…These initial studies have been criticised, however, for statistically controlling for prior achievement; an approach that exacerbates performance decrements in the stereotype threat condition and reduces them in the control condition (see Brown & Day, 2006;Sacket, Hardison, & Cullen, 2004). Despite this, hundreds of studies have since provided empirical support for the situational phenomenon coined stereotype threat (see Pennington, Heim, Levy, & Larkin, Traditionally, theories have considered stereotype threat as a singular construct, however more recent research posits that women may be vulnerable to distinct experiences of stereotype threat that impair performance through concerns about their personal (i.e., self-as-target) or social identity (i.e., group-as-target; Barber, 2017;Shapiro & Neuberg, 2007;Shapiro et al, 2013). The multi-threat framework (Shapiro & Neuberg, 2007) proposes that women may experience 'self-as-target' stereotype threat when they perceive that stereotype-consistent performance will be judged as self-characteristic of personal aptitude.…”