Which of the following is the best example of the phenomenon called stereotype threat?
A) Noah develops a sudden fear of flying after repeatedly watching graphic film footage of a commercial aircraft crashing shortly after takeoff and killing all of the passengers.
B) Haley thinks she's more likely to win the lottery after someone she knows wins $5 million.
C) Hannah does poorly on her calculus final after overhearing her math instructor make a joking remark about how few female students manage to pass his course.
D) Eric is an extremely talented artist and sculptor, but his IQ score is only within the average range.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stereotype threat refers to the phenomenon where individuals belonging to a group that is negatively stereotyped in a particular area (in this case, females and their ability to succeed in math) perform worse on tasks related to that area if they are made aware of the stereotype prior to or during the task. In this example, Hannah's poor performance on the calculus final can be attributed to her awareness of the negative stereotype about females and math, which could have affected her confidence and performance. The other options are not examples of stereotype threat.

Which of the Following Is the Best Example of the Phenomenon