The Steele and Aronson Study

The Steele and Aronson study examined how stereotypes can affect academic performance. They found that Black students performed worse on standardized tests when their race was emphasized, due to anxiety from negative stereotypes about their group's intelligence. Conversely, when the test was presented as a non-diagnostic "problem-solving task," performance improved. This research shows that awareness of stereotypes can negatively impact individuals' performance, highlighting the importance of creating environments that reduce stereotype threat to promote equity and fair assessment.