The Role of Media Portrayals on the Activation of Stereotype Threat: A Study of African American Test Performance
Item
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Title
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The Role of Media Portrayals on the Activation of Stereotype Threat: A Study of African American Test Performance
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:e70f326a1e9c:11106
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identifier
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11324
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Creator
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Scott, Gillian Leslie,
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Contributor
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Deidre M. Anglin
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Date
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2011
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Clinical psychology | Social psychology | African American studies | Black studies | Advanced Progressive Matrices | African-American | media | negative stereotypes | Stereotype threat | Test performance
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Abstract
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The goal of the present study was to investigate the influence media representations of African Americans have on the cognitive performance of African-descended students. Research suggests that while negative stereotypes about African American intelligence can negatively impact the academic and intellectual performance of Black students, a concept known as stereotype threat, positive stereotypes can improve performance, a concept known as stereotype boost. Stereotypes can be learned and cognitively activated through a variety of sources, such as through media. Using an experimental design, the present study tested whether exposure to stereotypically negative media representations of African Americans could elicit poor performance on a cognitive test of deductive reasoning and whether exposure to positive media representation of African Americans could improve performance on the same test of reasoning. In addition, the present study determined whether anxiety mediated the relationship between media exposure and test performance and whether this relationship was moderated by Black racial identity. Students completed the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (pre- and post-study), the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) and the Cross Black Racial Identity Scale. This study did not find support for the hypotheses that negative media images uniquely decrease cognitive functioning or that positive media images uniquely boost cognitive functioning. Additionally, the findings did not support the hypothesis that exposure to negative stereotypical media representations would uniquely increase state anxiety. Average anxiety scores increased uniformly across groups, regardless of media condition. However, the results of this study indicated an interaction effect between media type exposure and racial self-label on test performance. Students who self-labeled as West-Indian performed statistically worse than those labeling as African American on a test of cognitive performance (APM) after exposure to positive media representations of African Americans. Self-Hatred, Anti-White, and Multicultural Inclusion beliefs were found to independently predict accuracy on a cognitive task. An examination about the implications of these results for clinicians, parents, and teachers is offered.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
