Stereotype threat reinterpreted as a regulatory mismatch.

Abstract

Research documents performance decrements resulting from the activation of a negative taskrelevant stereotype. We combine a number of strands of work to identify causes of stereotype threat in a way that allows us to reverse the effects and improve the performance of individuals with negative task-relevant stereotypes. We draw on prior work suggesting that negative stereotypes induce a prevention focus, and other research suggesting that people exhibit greater flexibility when their regulatory focus matches the reward structure of the task. This work suggests that stereotype threat effects emerge from a prevention focus combined with tasks that have an explicit or implicit gains reward structure. We find flexible performance can be induced in individuals who have a negative task-relevant stereotype by using a losses reward structure. We demonstrate the interaction of stereotypes and the reward structure of the task using chronic stereotypes and GRE math problems (Experiment 1), and primed stereotypes and a category learning task (Experiments 2a and 2b). We discuss implications of this research for other work on stereotype threat. KeywordsRegulatory Fit; Stereotype Threat; Motivation; Category Learning; Math Stereotype Threat Reinterpreted as a Regulatory Mismatch Stereotypes are a pervasive part of human psychological experience. Starting with Steele and Aronson (1995), research documents the performance decrements resulting from the activation of a negative taskrelevant stereotype. These decrements occur in a range of domains from the academic sector to athletic performance and are known as stereotype threat effects (Aronson, Lustina, Good, Keough, & Steele, 1999;Stone, Lynch, Sjomeling, & Darley, 1999). Not confined to laboratory settings, stereotype threat effects can be found in real-world contexts. Steele, James, and Barnett (2002) demonstrated that women in male-dominated fields, such as math and engineering, are more likely than those in female-dominated fields to think about changing their major. They propose that this difference suggests that women are avoiding the possibility of confirming a negative stereotype about their group by switching into fields like the social sciences that do not have negative stereotypes for women.Because stereotypes are ubiquitous, it is imperative that researchers determine how to mitigate their negative effects on performance. We present data in support of one such method. Using Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins, 1987(Higgins, , 1997, we suggest that stereotype threat effects are the result of a regulatory mismatch between the motivational state of the individual and the reward structure of the task. This explanation allows us to suggest a straightforward method to reverse stereotype threat effects. Simply, we demonstrate that negative stereotypes can produce better performance than positive ones given a "matching" task reward structure. We call the beneficial pairing of stereotype and task reward structure a stereotype fit. This result

Pursuing goals with others: Group identification and motivation resulting from things done versus things left undone.

“…Given that much of personality and social psychology is concerned with understanding the factors that improve individuals' successful performance (Bayer & Gollwitzer, 2007;Grimm, Markman, Maddox, & Baldwin, 2009;Oettingen, Mayer, Thorpe, Janetzke, & Lorenz, 2005;Vasquez & Buehler, 2007), researchers typically view the relative lack of effort in group settings as a negative, hence the term social loafing. In the present research, we assume that any observed levels of underperformance may depend on why individuals are pursuing a shared goal to begin with (perceived value vs. need for progress).…”

Stereotype threat prevents perceptual learning

“…Thus, it seems that most women were responding similarly to the threat manipulation. Because the threat instructions were reiterated before each block, it is possible that most or all women responded by increasing their caution and effort, emphasized accuracy over speed, and stayed with a serial search strategy that may have inhibited learning (18,19).…”

Gender-Based Navigation Stereotype Improves Men’s Search for a Hidden Goal

“…Although due to limited research, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of stereotype lift, a number of underlying processes have been considered as the basis for stereotype threat, including decreased working memory (Schmader, Johns, & Forbes, 2008), prevention focus (US university students: Grimm, Markman, Maddox, & Baldwin, 2009), and performance expectancies (UK university students: Rosenthal, Crisp, & Suen, 2007). It is possible that geometric-based navigation relies on different underlying processes than landmark-based navigation, which map onto the different processes outlined as mechanisms underlying stereotype threat.…”