Stereotype Threat - 971 Words

How have my own experiences conforming to stereotypes equipped me to deal with stereotype threats that may be present in my sessions with students as a Speaking Fellow? My past is inundated with the roles I have adopted. As the single female in a combat unit in the military this stereotype manifested as I forfeited my femininity to become one of the boys. I had no desire to be seen as a woman who needed to be coddled (as the men I served with presumed) so I assumed the role of tomboy, eating as they, sporting baggy, unfitted pants to cover my womanly curves, and sacrificing my use of silverware in my efforts to be â€Å"just one of the guys.† As I matriculated to Barnard, my identity changed again. Barnard’s slogan is â€Å"bold, beautiful,†¦show more content†¦The anxiety that manifests in increased heart rate, nervous ticks, or lack of focus is typical for those who are suffer from stereotype threat. Talking about the anxiety they feel, and explaining wh y the distraction is occurring is a helpful strategy in regulating and removing the angst. As a Speaking Fellow, the feedback that one provides to their student can significantly affect the student’s motivation and domain identification. Constructive feedback appears most effective when it communicates high standards for performance while assuring the student that they are able to meet those standards. As mentors we can play active roles in eradicating stereotype threat by appreciating the diversity of our students, and embracing their contrasting identities. As my identity continually changes so too does my individuality as a speaker. As a soldier my once loud, argumentative, and confident identity diminished as I did not want to stand out. As a teenager I had been an overwhelming presence that sucked all the energy out of a room. But this new me wanted none of that. And then there is the young woman that I have become, the bold Barnard woman, who voices her opinions, and embraces her femininity. Such a drastic change from the soldier I once was could only be a result of my desire to adapt to my new environment. Today I have detached my fixation for what society expects from me. I don’t conform to aShow MoreRelatedThe Threat of a Stereotype1383 Words   |  6 PagesStereotype threat is present in our everyday lives and it prevents people from doing things to their fullest abilities. It is the fear of confirming a negative stereotype about you resulting in weaker performance. An example where stereotype threat exists is in the case where African Americans do poorly on tests compared to Caucasian individuals. This occurs because the stereotype is that African Americans are intellectually inferior to Caucasian people. In a setting where the negative stereotypeRead MoreStereotype Threats Of College Students1417 Words   |  6 Pages Stereotype Threats of Undergraduates Chassydi Turner Education Psychology Dr. Sandra Hull April 23, 2015 â€Æ' Stereotype produces numerous situations when most are negative in nature. Many studies have been extended since first reported by Steele and Aaronson in earlier years. The term stereotype threat is a threat that diminishes performances, beginning from a negative stereotype about one’s own social group (Steele, 1997; Steele Aaronson 1995). Stating that stereotypes can harm performancesRead MoreResearch Proposal On Stereotype Threat2288 Words   |  10 PagesQuantitative research proposal on stereotype threat: Evaluation of online supportive website Problem Statement Stereotype threat, or the fear of being judged through the lens of a negative stereotype, has been shown to hurt one’s performance (Spencer, Steele, Quinn, 1999; Steele, Spencer Aronson, 2002). It is clear, from years of research, that individuals who are threatened about a negative stereotype concerning their ability do not perform to their potential when stereotypes are triggered (Steele, SpencerRead MoreStereotype Threat And Self Handicapping2951 Words   |  12 Pagespast century, stereotype threat and self handicapping have been of extreme interest to social psychologists. The reasoning behind why people react in certain ways due to the circumstances they are in is a huge discussion topic that interests the field in big way. Stereotype threat occurs when an individual is at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about them or about one’s group (Steele Aronson, 1995). Previous research has shown that being the victim of a stereotype threat can actually alterR ead MoreStereotype Threat On The Workplace1716 Words   |  7 PagesStereotype Threat on Women in the Workplace Stereotype threats are negative consequences about one’s race, sex, nationality, or social group. Stereotype threats are used a lot more frequently than people realize. Gender is a powerful stereotype that affects many people’s decisions and actions. The stereotype of women in the workplace has come a long way even in the last twenty years. Many businesses tend to want to diversify their demographics by making the ratio of men to women almost equal. â€Å"DemographicRead MoreStereotype Threat And Its Effect On Social Group836 Words   |  4 PagesWhen reminding individuals about the existing stereotype on a specific task of their social group and their membership in this specific social group, these individuals perform worse on the specific task (Steele Aronson, 1995 in Krendl, Richeson, Kelley, Heatherton, 2008). This phenomenon is called stereotype threat. Stereotype threat is stated as the performance reducer when a negative stereotype message about someone’s own group is made salient to evaluate the performance and any of the member’sRead MoreStereotype Threat Of The Outsiders831 Words   |  4 PagesStereotype Threat in The Outsiders Do soceital expectations and living conditions affect how people view someone? Ponyboy Curtis, Cherry, and Johnny are all people who are affected by soceital expectations because people expect them to conform to what they think of similar people, since they do have similar living conditions. Ponyboy and Johnny are part of a social group called the Greasers, who are the poor people in the town, and since many others think of poor people as people who steal, areRead MoreStereotype Threat Of The Outsiders817 Words   |  4 PagesStereotype Threat in The Outsiders Does soceitical expectations and living conditions affect how people view someone? Ponyboy Curtis, Cherry, and Johnny are all people who are affected by soceitical expectations because people expect them to conform to what they think of similar people, since they do have similar living conditions. Ponyboy and Johnny are part of a social group called the Greasers, and since many others think of poor people as people who steal and are thugs who are parts of gangsRead MoreStereotype Threat And Gender Threat On Learning1797 Words   |  8 Pagesexist threats to people’s learning that has likely affected everyone. One such example of this is stereotype threat. Stereotype threat is where people feel they should confirm the stereotypes of the social groups such as race and gender. One example of stereotype threat would be an English person living in America feeling pressured to speak a certain way since people believe that is how he would speak. Similar to how stereotyping is consi dered bad, there are problems with stereotype threat on learningRead MoreStereotype Threat And Its Effect On A Persons Well Being2952 Words   |  12 Pages Stereotype Threat and its effect on a persons well being Jessica Guzman Chaffey Community College Professor Barbari Psych 80 The idea of not performing adequately on a task is something that many people can relate too. This uncomfortable feeling can be experienced throughout many different situations. Previous research suggests that stereotypes on how people are perceived to act or perform can hinder their thought processes and impact their overall performance. This is referred