Natasha Bowen: Countering Stereotype Threat in Classrooms: The Problem with Relying on Psychological Changes in Students

A brief self-affirmation essay has been studied as a way to counter stereotype threat and improve the academic achievement of Black middle school students. Despite large and long-lasting positive effects of affirmation essays in many studies, results have been inconsistent, leading to ongoing questions about factors that affect the intervention’s effectiveness. The experimental results discussed here reflect inconsistencies in the broader literature. They also highlight the need for a cultural-developmental understanding of stereotype threat and explicit attention in interventions to its sources in the social environment. Assessments of the classroom ecology and corresponding feasible intervention add-ons are recommended along with the ethical obligation to move away from harmful experimental designs.