Stereotype Threat Deconstructed

More than a decade of research has demonstrated that individuals underperform in situations that remind them that they are stereotyped to do poorly. This paper explores the psychological processes that underlie these stereotype threat effects. Specifically, reminders of negative stereotypes cue uncertainty and a search for evidence that one might be confirming the stereotype. This process of monitoring for failure and suppressing negative thoughts and feelings hijacks the very cognitive mechanism-working memory-that is necessary for success on complex cognitive tasks where group differences in performance are a concern. Fortunately evidence suggests that when stigmatized individuals reappraise their experience, group differences in performance can be reduced if not eliminated.