Walden University Countering Stereotype Threat – Doll Study PT1 Paper
Humanities
Countering Stereotype Threat
In the summer of 1992, Mattel’s Teen Talk Barbie came under fire for one of her 270 phrases, famously, “Math class is tough!” Research indicates that girls are in fact influenced by stereotypes early in their educational lives (Steele, 2003). Often, simply knowing that a group is expected to perform less well in a domain will increase the likelihood of poorer performance. Whether they be academic performance or choices on a doll test, the consequences of such covert and subtle forms of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination take a cumulative, life-draining toll on their targets. This week’s media resource gives you a clear illustration of the impact of stereotype threat
For this essay, please follow the instructions as below:
1. Explain the concept of stereotype threat. (200 words)
2. Watch the course video Doll Study PT1, and describe the stereotype threat present in the video. (200 words)
3. Explain how stereotype threat may impacted group identity and/or performance. (450 words)
4. Explain two strategies to counter that stereotype threat. (400 words)
Support your essay with specific references. You are to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.
Reference: Steele, J. (2003). Children’s gender stereotypes about math: The role of stereotype stratification. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33(12), 2587–2606.
Required Resources
Readings
- Alter, A. L., Aronson, J., Darley, J. M., Rodriguez, C., & Ruble, D. N. (2010). Rising to the threat: Reducing stereotype threat by framing the threat as a challenge. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(1), 166–171.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Clark, K. B., & Clark, M. K. (1939). The development of consciousness of self and the emergence of racial identification in Negro preschool children. Journal of Social Psychology, 10(4), 591–599.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Diekman, A. B., Brown, E. R., Johnston, A. M., & Clark, E. K. (2010). Seeking congruity between goals and roles: A new look at why women opt out of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. Psychological Science, 21(8), 1051–1057.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Mrazek, M. D., Chin, J. M., Schmader, T., Hartson, K. A., Smallwood, J., & Schooler, J. W. (2011). Threatened to distraction: Mind-wandering as a consequence of stereotype threat. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(6), 1243–1248.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Rydell, R. J., McConnell, A. R., & Beilock, S. L. (2009). Multiple social identities and stereotype threat: Imbalance, accessibility, and working memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(5), 949–966.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Steele, C. M. (1997). A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance. American Psychologist, 52(6), 613–629.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Media
- Inside The AC360 Doll Study PT1. (2010). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cWgV5sigbQ.
