Based on studies by Steele and Aronson that have revealed the phenomenon of stereotype threat in black students, we have tested whether Cambridge undergraduates might suffer from a similar stereotype threat of exceptional intelligence. In this paradigm they would feel the need to perform highly in all kinds of ability tests irrespective of their state anxiety, even if it is known that most people perform worse when experiencing greater anxiety due to a lack of focus. This possibility was investigated by dividing the students - unbeknownst to them - into two groups depending on which kinds of Raven's items - easy or very hard ones - they had to complete immediately prior to a speeded test (the Wechsler Digit Symbol) and a non-speeded test (vocabulary). The different speed conditions were used in order to estimate the effect of state anxiety, since various studies have shown that it might have a negative impact on speeded tests. This experiment has demonstrated that there is no statistically significant difference in the performance on the Wechsler Digit Symbol task as well as on the vocabulary test between the group that was administered the easy Raven's items and the one that was assigned the hard items.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Introduction
- Methods
- Subjects
- Materials
- Procedure
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte
This study investigates whether Cambridge undergraduates experience a stereotype threat or boost related to their perceived exceptional intelligence. The experiment aims to determine if the pressure to perform highly in ability tests, regardless of anxiety levels, affects their performance. The study explores the potential impact of state anxiety on speeded and non-speeded tests, considering the possibility of a stereotype boost effect.
- Stereotype threat or boost in Cambridge students
- Impact of state anxiety on test performance
- Influence of easy vs. hard Raven's items on subsequent tests
- Potential for stereotype boost effect in high-IQ individuals
- Comparison of performance on speeded and non-speeded tests
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel
The introduction presents the concept of stereotype threat, citing Steele and Aronson's research on black students' performance on standardized tests. The study hypothesizes that Cambridge students might experience a similar threat due to the expectation of exceptional intelligence. The methods section details the experimental design, including the use of easy and hard Raven's items, the Wechsler Digit Symbol test, and a vocabulary test. The results section reports that no statistically significant difference was found in performance between the groups assigned easy and hard Raven's items. The discussion explores potential weaknesses in the experimental design, such as the assumption of anxiety induced by observing others completing difficult tasks. It also considers the possibility of a more subtle form of stereotype threat among Cambridge students. The conclusion summarizes the findings and suggests further research to explore the potential for stereotype threat or boost in this population.
Schlüsselwörter
The keywords and focus themes of the text include stereotype threat, stereotype boost, Cambridge students, exceptional intelligence, state anxiety, speeded tests, non-speeded tests, Raven's matrices, Wechsler Digit Symbol test, vocabulary test, and experimental design.
- Citar trabajo
- Laura Imperatori (Autor), 2014, IQ Testing. Stereotype Threat or Boost in Cambridge Students?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/276481
