Influences of stereotype threat on the mathematics performance of high school athletes

Abstract

The negative effects of stereotype threat on one’s behavior and performance have been proved in stereotype research that adopted experimental manipulation. Focusing on the academic performance of student athletes, this research mainly examined the stereotype effects triggered by positive and negative impressions on high school athletes’ mathematics performance, and the mediating role of self-handicapping between stereotypes and one’s performance. A total of 197 high school student athletes (M = 16.55 years, SD = 0.56) who consistently joined competitive athletics training and competitions above the interschool level were collected, positive and negative conditions were simulated by the reading of short texts, and instructions were given to categorize mathematics tests as difficult or easy (the tests’ content being in fact identical). Four conditions were distinguished, namely positive-easy (PE), negative-easy (NE), positive-difficult (PD), and negative-difficult (ND) conditions. A mathematics test comprising 12 questions was used as academic performance indicator. The accuracy of the answers and the participants’ attempts to answer were calculated. The research results indicate that, in terms of accuracy, the interaction between stereotypes and difficulty level was nonsignificant, but the mathematical accuracy of the students who received positive conditions was significantly better than that of those who received negative conditions. In terms of the number of questions answered, the interaction between stereotypes and difficulty level was significant. The participants in the ND condition performed the worst in terms of the number of questions answered. In addition, the latter partially mediated between stereotype and mathematical accuracy. The research results confirm that student athletes are indeed affected by stereotype threat and might resort to behavioral self-handicapping by making less effort, which further affects their performance.