That's not my group!: Identification, Stereotype Threat, and Fake Stereotypes
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology and Sociology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Jana Hackathorn, PhD.
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
The present study is a continuation and adaptation from the one previously conducted on stereotype threat using faking stereotypes (Hodges & Hackathorn, 2017). The results from that study were generally inconclusive, and revealed a new array of questions. Does self-selection matter? According to an article by Martiny and colleagues (2011) that is looking at newly-created groups, it does matter. They found that the response to stereotype threat was correlated with the participant’s identification and sense of belonging to the groups they were placed in. However, they were placed in the groups by the researcher. Does this make a difference because the participant did not choose the group? In most research conducted under stereotype threat, the participants are reminded of a stereotype that is innate, something they did not choose (e.g. gender, or race). Political affiliation is a group that the individual has the freedom to choose, however. The idea is that we want to see if we can better understand the attachment or identification with the self-selected group, and whether that identification affects how they react to stereotype-threat. Is it only innate groups that were not chosen or are “core” to their “self” that are affected by stereotype-threat, or can self-selected groups be affected too if the group is highly identified with their core and “self”?
Fall Scholars Week 2018 Event
Psychology: Completed Projects
That's not my group!: Identification, Stereotype Threat, and Fake Stereotypes
The present study is a continuation and adaptation from the one previously conducted on stereotype threat using faking stereotypes (Hodges & Hackathorn, 2017). The results from that study were generally inconclusive, and revealed a new array of questions. Does self-selection matter? According to an article by Martiny and colleagues (2011) that is looking at newly-created groups, it does matter. They found that the response to stereotype threat was correlated with the participant’s identification and sense of belonging to the groups they were placed in. However, they were placed in the groups by the researcher. Does this make a difference because the participant did not choose the group? In most research conducted under stereotype threat, the participants are reminded of a stereotype that is innate, something they did not choose (e.g. gender, or race). Political affiliation is a group that the individual has the freedom to choose, however. The idea is that we want to see if we can better understand the attachment or identification with the self-selected group, and whether that identification affects how they react to stereotype-threat. Is it only innate groups that were not chosen or are “core” to their “self” that are affected by stereotype-threat, or can self-selected groups be affected too if the group is highly identified with their core and “self”?