When tests were described as measuring intelligence: Hispanic students performed more poorly than white students; children from a low socioeconomic background performed more poorly than students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds; and social science majors scored lower than natural science majors. These examples all illustrate stereotype threat.

Question

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Stereotype threat refers to the phenomenon where members of a group feel pressure to conform to negative stereotypes about their group, leading to poorer performance on tasks related to that stereotype. The examples given, where certain groups perform more poorly on tests that are seen as measuring intelligence, suggest that stereotype threat is likely at play.

When Tests Were Described as Measuring Intelligence: Hispanic Students Performed