The Effect of Stereotype Threat on Cognitive Performance and Physiological Variability in Older Adults

Abstract

Previous work has shown that the activation of negative stereotypes influences performance in members of the stereotyped group. The present study attempted to test the applicability of stereotype threat to middle-aged and older adults in a medical setting. Specifically, the assumption that stereotype threat occurs as a normal response to any conditions in which individuals feel that the potential to be stereotyped exists was examined. Based on the theory of stereotype threat proposed by Steele (1997), it was hypothesized that anxiety would increase and performance would decline when patient stereotypes were activated in outpatients at the VA clinic. To test this hypothesis, VA patients aged 46 to 86 years were interviewed in a manner designed to either heighten or reduce threat through reference to either their patient status or, conversely, some positive aspect of self. Participants' cardiovascular and galvanized skin conductance (GSR) responses were monitored throughout the study, and measures related to anxiety and performance outcomes were also completed. Stereotype-related variations in anxiety were evident, with patients who talked about their medical experiences reporting more feelings of anxiety than patients who were interviewed about their leisure activities. Additionally, patients who were asked about their medical experiences demonstrated greater changes in their GSR readings over the course of the experiment, suggestive of higher levels of stress. Potential explanations for these results are explored including those relating to the cognitive structures activated by the negative stereotypes associated with being a patient.