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Implications of Positive Stereotype Activation for Test Performance, Expectations, and Attributional Style
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by Kelly D. Voss and Elizabeth Yost Hammer - Belmont University (Voss); Loyola University New Orleans (Hammer)
Categories: Educational | Social
Previous research has shown that the influence of negative and positive stereotypes on targets can be subtle but pervasive. Positive stereotypes activated on an implicit level, where the individual's awareness of the targeted component is increased and those stereotypes are activated explicitly by expression of the direct purpose of comparing performance based on the targeted identity, can have effects on behavior. We assigned 36 students to 1 of 2 levels of positive activation, tested for verbal ability, and reported their expectations and attributions for that examination. In line with the hypothesis, implicitly activated participants had higher test scores than explicitly activated participants. No group differences were found for expectations and attributions. We discuss implications for stereotype threat research.