Stereotype Threat Hits Home

For a long time, I have been interested in the idea of stereotype threat, its causes and consequences, and what I can do as a professor to lessen or eliminate it among my students.  Stereotype threat, which refers to the risk we sense of affirming a negative stereotype about a group with which we identify, is something I witness first hand in my interactions with students.  For instance, I remember Clara, a visually impaired African-American woman refusing to ask for help because she did not want to affirm the stereotype that women, people with disabilities, and African Americans are intellectually inferior.  Clara, I should add, was an excellent student in spite of these insecurities.

This past week, I found myself teaching a new group of students in a college setting, Frederick Community College in Maryland.  When I walked into class on the first day, I noticed that the projector was on and the school’s web page was pictured on the screen in front of the classroom.  I went over to the computer to try to turn the projector off, but nothing seemed to work.  After fumbling for what seemed like an interminable amount of time, I sensed my anxiety increasing.  It was distracting me and making it difficult to think clearly.  Instead of taking a deep breath and problem solving, I simply tried harder and harder.  I did not want to ask my students for help, for fear of coming off as a baby boomer who didn’t know the first thing about computer technology.  Finally, I gave up, steadied myself, and proceeded to teach even though the projector continued to serve as a distraction to me and my students.  Later, I learned that the controls for turning the projector on and off were mounted on the side wall.

What did I learn from this experience?  First, all of us are susceptible to stereotype threat, due to our age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or perhaps some other dimension of our social identity.  Also, I learned that in addition to affirming my students’ self-worth, I need to affirm my own, particularly in certain situations.  Instead of simply trying to look smarter when it comes to operating technology, I need to be smarter and take the necessary steps to understand and lessen my anxiety.  This starts with asking for help if I need it.  Finally, I learned to be even more tuned in to the very real threat of stereotypes, and the powerful role it can play in diverse populations.