Understanding the Stereotype Threat Effect With “Culture-Free” Tests: An Examination of its Mediators and Measurement

This experiment examined the mediation of the stereotype threat effect and explored the relationship of 2 different types of stereotype threat: stereotype threat–specific (threat that results specifically from the testing environment) and stereotype threat–general (a global sense of threat that individuals carry across situations) on Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices test performance. As predicted, there was a significant interaction between race (African American or White) and test diagnosticity (intelligence or perceptual ability), such that African Americans experienced more stereotype threat–specific when told the test measured intelligence. Further, both stereotype threat–specific and stereotype threat–general negatively related to test performance. Finally, 3 structural equation models (1 for stereotype threat–specific, 1 for stereotype threat–general, and 1 examining the joint effect of these 2 constructs) simultaneously integrating the proposed mediators failed to find evidence of mediation.