Stereotype threat affects many people in many different ways. Social Psychology defines Stereotype threat “is a disruptive concern, when facing a negative stereotype, that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype. Unlike self-fulfilling prophecies that hammer one’s self –concept, stereotype threat situations have immediate effects ” The effects of stereotype threat are advanced because of the self-fulfilling prophecies that many different races, sexes or even religions fall into the effects of. Stereotype threat plays amongst different groups, and the effects that may cause a different reaction otherwise if not being associated with that group, self -fulfilling prophecies can be the consequence. In some situations Stereotype threat can be a subconscious thought, but for some situations or people if they believe a stereotype and circum to it simply without even trying, that is the self -fulfilling prophecy that is placed on oneself. Stereotype threat can be implanted in us by certain words and attitudes that are associated with certain groups of people. It has been studied more over the years of the different ways that stereotype threat plays a role in certain groups and the consequences that it has. Research was originally centered on race and how it has caused underachievement among African Americans. In recent research it has been broadened to show this threat in many different areas that can affect almost all people in some way. Options that can be used to minimize the stereotype threat are by eliminating the internal fear that is the threat itself. By eliminating the fear of failure or the uncertainty that one cannot perform to the best of their ability, this can help to remove that threat. There have been studies done on Stereotype threat by a professor at Stanford University named Claude Steele a Social psychologist, has done many studies on Stereotype threat and the effects that it causes simply by the mental thought of a certain group. In an example used with African Americans that carry the stereotype of being the race that is less intelligent than whites, this theory was proven while taking a test in a competitive atmosphere. Studies administered by Steele had determined that when the African American group had been made aware that they were taking a test along with the white group, they had tested well below than they had with the test given when unaware of the white group. Steele had researched this idea at different times with different types of test and received the same results every time. Stereotype threat is a person being tied to a certain group of people such as African Americans, and with that relation it carries a negative stereotype which can cause that person or group of persons to sub-consciously conform to that negative stereotype. Aside from the cultural Stereotype threat there are other examples that have been shown in studies in regards to gender such as women not being able to do as well in mathematics as males, some sports, or even in some careers. Over many years there had been certain roles that were always assumed to be for a certain sex; however in time those roles have slowly reversed in some ways. Although in many cultures there are certain roles that are still considered women roles or men roles, in the America there are women that are taking on careers that have always been considered for a man. For an example of stereotype threat for gender, a woman deciding to become a police officer can have the same type effects if they go into the role feeling as though this is a man’s job and maybe they cannot finish it through nor do it as well as a man. For a women going into a role already having the feeling of not doing something as well she may in fact not perform as well and in some cases tend to perform poorly. There are many different examples that can be seen as a stereotype threat. There was a test that had already been done in the 1960’s by a psychologist named Irwin Katz. Using IQ test with African Americans the test was performed in regards to the influence of a title and how the test was presented to them in a way that it was similar to the later studies of Claude Steele. From these test that were first given is where Steele began the research on how test given to African Americans who are fully knowledgeable on the answers can be psyched out enough to fail because they automatically believe they won’t do well because it is the belief that they won’t.
When constantly feeling like an underdog in a way when it comes to certain situation or certain things and believing it, that is when you fall into the self-fulfilling prophecy that you will not go beyond the idea that you can be more than what is expected. The fact is not that African Americans cannot perform as well as white people when it comes to taking test or even for a woman to want to be a soldier or a firefighter because it is geared towards more men. The fact is that because it is a stereotype that has become a part of human nature in a way that we have all been brought up either hearing most of our life or even just being around so much of the attitude that suggest what we cannot do before we even begin, that is the stereotype threat. Stereotype threat can creep up even when we don’t believe that it is there or a part of what we are doing and still play a part of our sub-conscious mind. If I study information from a chapter in a text book for months, how would I assume that the fear of being put under a microscope and feeling like I am being watched would play a part in me feeling like I can forget the information? That is the very real effect of stereotype threat that plays amongst our young black students in school right now. The truth that is not faced is in the many generations of this threat that African Americans are expected to score below other classes of people or that they are lazy and will not even finish school. Some ways of trying to change the effects of this stereo type threat is in the research that has been done on stereotype threat such as removing that atmosphere of the microscope. If we can somehow learn to take away that element of diversity when we are doing any task, then it becomes just the task at hand and not the test that has expected failure attached, and that can reduce those effects. Steele did a study on men of Social Sensitivity where nonverbal communication was used to demonstrate the effects of stereotype threat. This test was used to decode nonverbal cues on the test of a feminine ability. The test for social sensitivity was used to test the ability to interpret accurate expressive behaviors by noticing nonverbal cues. This test was used to show the ability of men and their social skills versus a woman. Men are not known to have very good nonverbal skills in a social setting unlike where women are known for better communication skills in a daily setting. Stereotype threat is harder when you are aware of the stereotype that you are facing but it can be worse when you are actually carrying around the stereotype threat in your sub-conscious mind without realizing that it can be a part of your everyday and the way that you are thinking during some everyday task. Without even realizing that you are allowing certain stereotype threats to cause you to react differently than you otherwise would without the stereotype threat. It is important to understand that there is no proven fact that any particular stereotype is true. The attached stereotype that may be placed on any one race, religion or gender is not a label that has to be carried because it is not confirmed or determined to be true. Each one of us in some way can fall into the belief that we can become part of a certain group that may not do as well as another group, but that does not automatically prove that we are predetermined to under- perform in any way. As quoted by Claude Steele, “If you care about what you are doing, the prospect of being judged is upsetting and distressing and disturbing. In a situation like this, it takes cognitive resources away from a relaxed engagement with the task at hand and that undermines your performance. It never fails to amaze me how negative energy can impact us humans.” (http://www.diversityinc.com/article/7321/The-Stereotype-threat-Dr...)