Understanding the Stereotype Threat Effect With "Culture-Free" Tests: An Examination of its Mediators and Measurement

Abstract

This experiment examined the mediation of the stereotype threat effect and explored the relationship of 2 different types of stereotype threat: stereotype threat-specific (threat that results specifically from the testing environment) and stereotype threat-general (a global sense of threat that individuals carry across situations) on Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices test performance. As predicted, there was a significant interaction between race (African American or White) and test diagnosticity (intelligence or perceptual ability), such that African Americans experienced more stereotype threat-specific when told the test measured intelligence. Further, both stereotype threat-specific and stereotype threat-general negatively related to test performance. Finally, 3 structural equation models (1 for stereotype threat-specific, 1 for stereotype threat-general, and 1 examining the joint effect of these 2 constructs) simultaneously integrating the proposed mediators failed to find evidence of mediation.