In a study examining stereotype threat prevention (Spencer, Steele, & Quinn, 1999), researchers administered a difficult math test to both men and women. Some students were told that males and females performed equally well on this test, and others were told that there were gender differences in scores on the test. Which of the following best describes the outcome of this study?
A) Individuals in both conditions performed poorly regardless of their sex.
B) Female students performed similar to males in the no gender difference condition and performed more poorly than males in the gender difference condition.
C) Males and female performed well regardless of experimental condition.
D) The stereotype threat actually decreased in the gender difference condition, rather than the no gender difference conditions.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The study by Spencer, Steele, & Quinn (1999) found that when female students were told there were no gender differences in math test performance (no stereotype threat), they performed similarly to male students. However, when told about gender differences in performance (stereotype threat activated), female students performed worse than male students, illustrating the impact of stereotype threat on performance.

In a Study Examining Stereotype Threat Prevention (Spencer, Steele