Negative Stereotypes Damage Learning

Negative stereotypes shown to affect learning, not just performance, a 2010 study finds.  This study, Stereotype Threat PreventsPerceptual Learning, goes beyond the very well documented classic work of Stanford’s Claude Steele.  He found that simply filling out a blank for “Race” on a subject test depressed the scores of African Americans.  Follow up studies found this effect true for women as well as different minorities on a variety of subject tests.  In addition, to depressed performance on subject tests, negative stereotypes depressed performance of stigmatized groups on physical skills such driving or golf putting. One interesting follow up stereotype study found that on math subject tests when Asian women were asked to identify their gender, their performance was depressed.  When they were asked to identify their ethnicity, however, their performance was increased.  

This study on perceptual learning investigated ability to learn precursor skills needed for higher order learning.  This finding takes the problem into the learning process itself, rather than just into task performance.  It may not be that stigmatized group only “choke” on tests when reminded of stereotypes; it may be that stigmatized groups fail to learn important fundamental skills that are prerequisite for learning to solve more complex problems.  The researchers, who were able to separate learning effects from performance effects, studied how stereotype threats affects women’s ability to learn math.  According to lead author Robert Rydell, "if women do not learn relatively simple skills early on, this could spell trouble for them later on when they need to combine a number of more simple skills in new, complicated ways to solve difficult problems. For example, if a young girl does not learn a relatively simple principle of algebra or how to divide fractions because she is experiencing threat, this may hurt her when she has to use those skills to complete problems on geometry, trigonometry, or calculus tests.  Bottom line:  stereotypes hurt.