Case Studies and Reflective Tools
Case Study: Letia and Stereotype Threat
As you read about in the Layers of Racism section of this chapter, the United States has a long history of reflecting and reinforcing our socio historical racism through cultural racism. These messages not only impact how we perceive others, but how others perceive us. Many marginalized people know how others perceive them, which can result in a phenomenon known as Stereotype Threat. Stereotype threat is “risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group” (Steele & Aronson, 1995). This means that folks who are aware that others hold negative stereotypes carry anxiety about demonstrating to others’ that the negative stereotype about them is true. For example, Studies found that when Black people were given a test administered by White people, they performed worse on the test than when the same test was given by a Black proctor (Huang, 2009; Marx & Goff, 2005). Racial stereotypes aren’t the only ones that create stereotype threat. Women interested in science and math careers face them as well (Cheryan, et al., 2009; Beasley & Fischer, 2012).
I thought a lot about the impact of stereotype threat during a conversation with Letia as she shared her experiences working with me and other therapists as a single, teenage, Black mom. As you read the transcript of our conversation, consider how her EI experience might have been different had Letia not had to contend with stereotype threat.
Letia- “I wouldn’t say that everything [the therapists did] made sense. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t explain it. Back then I really just wouldn’t ask follow up questions.
Megan- “Do you know why you didn’t ask follow up questions? Do you remember why?”
Letia “ I think mostly maybe because I was a little bit embarrassed because I didn’t really know what was going on.”
Megan-“Why do you think that you didn’t ask follow up questions? Was it something that the therapists did to make you feel that you couldn’t ask follow up questions?
Tia- “no. it was more of a me thing. It was more of like, oh, ah, I’m a young, a young Black mom, so I’m already part of that statistic group, and my son is delayed. It was more a me thing. It wasn’t anything anybody else did.
Megan- Do you think that there could have been anything that we could have done or any way we could engage with you that would have made you feel more comfortable asking those questions or somehow addressing those feelings that you had?
Tia- [long pause]. I am not sure. Maybe yes? Or Maybe not? …It was more of a me thing. Just me being scared to speak up back then.
Megan- …Would it have made you feel more comfortable if you your therapists actually acknowledged the racial differences between you or any of thise stereotypes or previous experiences you might have had? Would you have felt more or less comfortable if they had addressed it?
Tia- “I probably would have felt more comfortable’ cause then it would have been somebody else bringing it up. I probably would have felt more comfortable to then talk about it. Or ask whatever I was previously too embarrassed to ask.”
Questions for Reflection
- Letia referenced that being a young, Black mom made her a statistic and connected that with having a son with developmental delays. What are the stereotypes you’ve learned about young Black women and mothers? Where did you learn the stereotypes?
- In what ways has the course content in college courses and/or professional reinforced or challenged these stereotypes about young, Black women?
- What stereotypes exist about your identities?
- How do the stereotypes about your identities impact how you perceive yourself? Have you experienced stereotype threat? How knowing what others might be assuming about you impact your interactions with them?
- Early Intervention is all about building parent capacity to meet the needs of their children. How do you think that Letia’s EI outcomes impacted the embarrassment that stopped her from asking follow up questions?
- Letia agreed that it may have been helpful for her if her therapists had addressed racial differences or even brought up the negative stereotypes that exist about Black, teen moms. What do you think that I could have said to Letia to start this conversation?
- Letia said that there wasn’t anything that her EI team did to make her feel like she couldn’t ask questions and that she didn’t share her embarrassment or concerns about stereotype threat with them. Knowing that some families may never share their concerns about stereotype threat with you, what are some things you might do to lessen families’ fears that you may be judging them?
- How might an awareness of stereotype threat change how you share information with or make recommendations to families?
Resources to help you learn more about Stereotype threat and the Experiences of Black Mothers
Videos
Upending Stereotypes of Black Womanhood: Tressie McMillan Cottom on The Daily Show
How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do: Claude Steele
4 Ways to Have Healthy Conversations About Race: Afrika Afeni Mills
How Stereotypes Affect Your Test Scores: SciSchow Psych
Books
Thick and Other Essays By Tressie McMillan Cottom
Red at the Bone By Jaqueline Woodson
Motherhood So White By Nefertiti Austin
Academic Research
Pennington, C. R., Heim, D., Levy, A. R., & Larkin, D. T. (2016). Twenty Years of Stereotype Threat Research: A Review of Psychological Mediators. PloS one, 11(1), e0146487. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146487
References
Beasley, M.A., Fischer, M.J. “Why they leave: the impact of stereotype threat on the attrition of women and minorities from science, math and engineering majors.” Soc Psychol Educ. 2012; 15, 427–448
Cheryan S, Plaut VC, Davies PG, Steele CM. “Ambient belonging: how stereotypical cues impact gender participation in computer science.” J Pers Soc Psychol. 2009; 97(6)
Huang MH. Race of the interviewer and the black-white test score gap. Social Science Research. 2009;38(1):29–38.
Marx DM, Goff PA. Clearing the air: The effect of experimenter race on target’s test performance and subjective experience. British Journal of Social Psychology. 2005;44(4):645–657.
Steele, C.M., Aronson J. “Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1995; 69 (5): 797–811
