Stereotype validation: the effects of activating negative stereotypes after intellectual performance

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Stereotype Threat Research

Background:

• Previous research shows stereotype activation before tasks can impair performance.
• The impact of stereotype activation occurring after task completion remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of post-performance stereotype activation on self-evaluations.
• To examine how stereotype salience after a task influences certainty in performance judgments.

Main Methods:

• Six studies manipulated the accessibility of gender or racial stereotypes after participants completed intellectual tasks (math, child-care knowledge).
• Participants' certainty in their self-evaluations of performance was measured.

Main Results:

• Post-performance stereotype activation increased certainty in negative self-evaluations for women, African Americans, and men.
• Effects were stronger when performance perceptions aligned with stereotypes and for highly identified group members.
• Increased certainty predicted lower domain-relevant beliefs and altered exposure to related stimuli.

Conclusions:

• Stereotype activation after performance can heighten confidence in negative self-assessments.
• This post-performance effect has implications for domain beliefs and engagement.
• Findings extend the understanding of stereotype threat beyond pre-task activation.