Psychologist Margaret Shih and her colleagues conducted a study in which mathematically gifted Asian American female college students were randomly assigned to three groups. Group 1 filled out a questionnaire about their Asian background, designed to remind them of their Asian identity. Group 2 filled out a questionnaire designed to remind them of their female identity. Group 3 was the control group and filled out a neutral questionnaire. The students who were reminded of their racial identity as Asians scored significantly higher on the exam than the students who were reminded of their gender identity as women. The effect of gender identity in this study is an example of:
A) neurotypical threat.
B) stereotype threat.
C) neurotypical lift.
D) stereotype lift.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The effect observed in this study is an example of stereotype threat, where participants' performance is influenced by their awareness of a negative stereotype about their group. In this case, reminding the Asian American female students of their gender identity triggered the stereotype that women are not as good in math as men, leading to lower scores on the exam compared to the control group. This effect was not observed when students were reminded of their Asian identity, suggesting that the stereotype threat was more salient for gender than for race. The terms "neurotypical threat" and "neurotypical lift" are not relevant to this study or to stereotype threat more generally. "Stereotype lift" is not a commonly used term in the literature and is not appropriate in this context.

Psychologist Margaret Shih and Her Colleagues Conducted a Study in Which