You belong to a social group, and you know that many people on campus believe your social group does really poorly in psychology classes. As you begin to take your psychology exam, you are concerned that if you do poorly on the test, you will unintentionally support this negative belief about your social group. This situation illustrates the concept of

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This situation exemplifies stereotype threat, which is the anxiety and concern experienced by individuals who belong to a stereotyped group that their performance might confirm negative stereotypes about their group. In this scenario, the fear of doing poorly on the psychology exam might lead the individual to inadvertently support the negative belief that their social group does poorly in psychology classes.

You Belong to a Social Group, and You Know That