COGNITION
THINKING AND LANGUAGE
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Academic motivation declines.
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Academic performance often suffers.
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Standardized tests may underestimate their ability.
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All of the above are likely consequences.
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Detailed explanation-1: -Stereotype threat leads to diminished performance on cognitive (e.g. math, problem-solving, chess), physical (athletics) and/or interpersonal (negotiating, social) tasks. For example, when female chess players believed they were playing against a male chess player, they performed worse than male chess players.
Detailed explanation-2: -Stereotype threat is defined as a “socially premised psychological threat that arises when one is in a situation or doing something for which a negative stereotype about one’s group applies” (Steele & Aronson, 1995).
Detailed explanation-3: -(Steele, 1999) When activated, stereotype threat causes students to perform worse on assignments than they might otherwise. This reaction is neurobiological in nature-the perceived threat stimulates cortisol production in the brain having the effect of reducing the available working memory for completing tasks.
Detailed explanation-4: -For example, when female students are given a math exam and told that the exam is diagnostic of their own intellectual abilities, negative stereotypes of women as less capable mathematicians can actually negatively impact their performance on the exam.