James is a 70-year-old retired history professor, who has been asked to take over a college class for a week.During his first lecture, James is concerned that any slip in his memory will confirm stereotypes about older people being forgetful.Because he is anxious and preoccupied about possible memory lapses, James actually does have problems with his memory.Psychologist Claude Steele referred to this as
A)scapegoating.
B)stereotype threat.
C)dogmatism.
D)cognitive dissonance.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario described is an example of stereotype threat, which refers to the anxiety and self-doubt experienced by individuals when they are in situations where they fear confirming negative stereotypes about their social group. In this case, James is concerned about confirming the stereotype that older people are forgetful, which actually causes him to have memory problems.

James Is a 70-Year-Old Retired History Professor, Who Has Been