Stereotype threat undermines intellectual performance by triggering a disruptive mental load

被引:186
作者
Croizet, JC
Després, G
Gauzins, ME
Huguet, P
Leyens, JP
Méot, A
机构
[1] Univ Clermont Ferrand, Lab Psychol Sociale Cognit, CNRS, UMR 6024, F-63000 Clermont Ferrand, France
[2] Univ Aix Marseille 1, F-13331 Marseille 3, France
[3] Univ Louvain La Neuve, Louvain, Belgium
关键词
stereotype threat; cognitive ability; heart rate variability; mental load;
D O I
10.1177/0146167204263961
中图分类号
B84 [心理学];
学科分类号
04 ; 0402 ;
摘要
Research on stereotype threat has repeatedly demonstrated that the intellectual performance of social groups is particularly sensitive to the situational context in which tests are usually administered. In the present experiment, an adaptation of the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices Test was introduced as a measure of cognitive ability. Results showed that individuals targeted by a reputation of intellectual inferiority scored lower on the test than did other people. However, when the identical test was not Presented as a measure of cognitive ability, the achievement gap between the target and the control group disappeared. Using heart rate variability indices to assess mental workload, our findings showed that the situational salience a a reputation of lower ability undermined intellectual performance by triggering a disruptive mental load. Our results indicate that group differences in cognitive ability scores can reflect different situational burdens and not necessarily actual differences in cognitive ability.
引用
收藏
页码:721 / 731
页数:11
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