Karin and her mother live on welfare in a poor,inner-city neighborhood in Detroit. Karin is quite bright and highly motivated,and she really wants to get a college education. However,she knows that,on average,students from low-income homes perform more poorly on the SAT Reasoning Test than students from wealthier homes. When she takes the SAT,she is so nervous that she has trouble concentrating on the test items,and so her scores underestimate her true abilities. Which of the following concepts best explains what has happened to Karin?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat refers to the risk of confirming negative stereotypes about an individual's racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural group, which can lead to anxiety and reduced performance. Karin's awareness of the stereotype about students from low-income homes likely caused her anxiety and affected her SAT performance.

Karin and Her Mother Live on Welfare in a Poor,inner-City