MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 8b Stereotype Threat Self Fulfilling

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This deck focuses on 8b Stereotype Threat Self Fulfilling, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

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Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: Which intervention reduces stereotype threat by emphasizing that ability can improve with effort?

Answer: Growth mindset framing. Believing abilities are malleable reduces fear of confirming fixed stereotypes.

Flashcard 2: What situational condition must be present for stereotype threat to occur most strongly?

Answer: A relevant negative stereotype and a high-stakes evaluative context. Threat emerges when stereotypes are relevant and performance matters significantly.

Flashcard 3: Which option is the most direct way to reduce stereotype threat in a study: make stereotypes salient or provide self-affirmation?

Answer: Provide self-affirmation. Self-affirmation directly mitigates stereotype threat by reinforcing self-worth, unlike salience which exacerbates it by heightening stereotype awareness.

Flashcard 4: Which factor most increases stereotype threat: low task difficulty or high task difficulty?

Answer: High task difficulty. Challenging tasks amplify performance pressure under threat.

Flashcard 5: In a self-fulfilling prophecy, what is the typical causal sequence: belief → behavior → outcome or outcome → belief → behavior?

Answer: Belief → behavior → outcome. Expectations shape actions which then create confirming results.

Flashcard 6: Identify the concept: A woman is reminded of gender stereotypes before math testing and scores lower.

Answer: Stereotype threat. Gender salience activates math-anxiety stereotypes.

Flashcard 7: Which term describes anxiety about confirming a stereotype that reduces test performance?

Answer: Stereotype threat. Stereotype threat involves heightened anxiety from fear of validating a negative stereotype, which disrupts focus and diminishes performance on assessments.

Flashcard 8: Identify the term for a student performing poorly because they believe a stereotype about their group.

Answer: Stereotype threat. Fear of confirming stereotypes impairs test performance.

Flashcard 9: What is the Pygmalion effect in educational settings?

Answer: Higher teacher expectations lead to improved student performance. Named after the mythical sculptor whose high expectations brought his statue to life.

Flashcard 10: Identify the 4-step sequence that defines a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Answer: Expectation → behavior → target response → expectation confirmed. Shows how initial beliefs create behavioral cycles that confirm themselves.

Flashcard 11: What is the defining feature that distinguishes stereotype threat from simple low ability?

Answer: A situational performance drop driven by stereotype-related evaluative pressure. Performance drops from situational pressure, not inherent ability differences.

Flashcard 12: What is the key difference between stereotype threat and a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer: Threat is internal anxiety; prophecy is expectation-driven interpersonal feedback. Threat is self-generated; prophecy involves external expectations.

Flashcard 13: What is the key difference between stereotype threat and a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer: Threat is internal anxiety; prophecy is expectancy-driven interpersonal behavior. Threat is self-imposed anxiety; prophecy involves others' expectations affecting behavior.

Flashcard 14: Identify the key cognitive mechanism by which stereotype threat can reduce test performance.

Answer: Working memory depletion due to stress, monitoring, and intrusive thoughts. Cognitive resources are consumed by anxiety and self-monitoring instead of task focus.

Flashcard 15: Which option best distinguishes stereotype threat from simple test anxiety?

Answer: Threat depends on stereotype salience about a social group. Regular anxiety lacks group-based stereotype component.

Flashcard 16: Identify the term for chronic concern about being judged by stereotypes, beyond one test.

Answer: Stigma consciousness. Persistent awareness of being stereotyped across multiple situations.

Flashcard 17: Identify the classic term for low expectations producing poorer performance outcomes.

Answer: Golem effect. Opposite of Pygmalion effect; negative expectations harm performance.

Flashcard 18: What is stereotype lift?

Answer: Performance improvement when a negative outgroup stereotype is salient. Comparison to negatively stereotyped groups enhances self-concept.

Flashcard 19: What is stereotype threat in the context of performance on evaluative tasks?

Answer: Performance impairment from fear of confirming a negative group stereotype. Occurs when awareness of negative stereotypes creates anxiety that hinders performance.

Flashcard 20: Which intervention most directly targets stereotype threat by reducing identity-related anxiety before a test?

Answer: Self-affirmation (values affirmation). Affirming personal values buffers against threat anxiety.

Flashcard 21: What is the Pygmalion effect?

Answer: High expectations lead to improved performance via changed treatment. Named after the play where expectations transformed a person positively.

Flashcard 22: What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in social psychology?

Answer: Belief-induced behavior that makes the original belief come true. Expectations create behaviors that fulfill the original expectation.

Flashcard 23: Which concept best explains why teacher expectations can change student outcomes over time?

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy. Teachers' beliefs about students create behaviors that fulfill those beliefs.

Flashcard 24: What is the Pygmalion effect?

Answer: Higher expectations lead to improved performance in the target. Positive expectations create supportive behaviors that enhance outcomes.

Flashcard 25: Which concept best explains a teacher expectation causing a student to actually improve?

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy. Teacher's positive expectations lead to differential treatment that improves outcomes.

Flashcard 26: Which option best captures why stereotype threat is considered situational rather than trait-based?

Answer: It depends on context and stereotype salience, not stable ability differences. Performance varies with situation, not fixed group differences in capability.

Flashcard 27: Identify the typical immediate effect of stereotype threat on working memory resources.

Answer: Working memory is reduced by stress and intrusive thoughts. Anxiety consumes cognitive resources needed for task performance.

Flashcard 28: What is meant by identity salience in stereotype threat research?

Answer: Increased awareness of a social identity during a performance situation. When group membership becomes cognitively activated or prominent.

Flashcard 29: Which option best distinguishes stereotype threat from a self-fulfilling prophecy in causal direction?

Answer: Threat is internal fear; prophecy is others' expectations shaping treatment and outcomes. Threat originates internally; prophecy involves external expectations changing behavior.

Flashcard 30: What is the key difference between stereotype threat and prejudice held by an evaluator?

Answer: Threat is internal fear; prejudice is evaluator's negative attitude. Threat comes from within; prejudice comes from others.

Flashcard 31: What is the key difference between stereotype threat and prejudice?

Answer: Threat is target's performance anxiety; prejudice is evaluator's biased attitude. Threat affects targets internally; prejudice is external bias from others.

Flashcard 32: Which experimental manipulation most directly triggers stereotype threat before a test?

Answer: Making a negative group stereotype salient during evaluation. Reminding targets of stereotypes activates threat response.

Flashcard 33: Identify the most direct cue manipulation to reduce stereotype threat: emphasize group differences or emphasize task fairness and equal ability.

Answer: Emphasize task fairness and equal ability. Fairness framing reduces stereotype salience and associated threat.

Flashcard 34: Which intervention reduces stereotype threat by describing intelligence as developable rather than fixed?

Answer: Growth mindset framing. Emphasizing ability improvement reduces fixed-trait anxiety.

Flashcard 35: Which intervention most directly reduces stereotype threat by changing task framing?

Answer: Describe the test as non-diagnostic of innate ability. Removes evaluative pressure by disconnecting task from stereotyped abilities.

Flashcard 36: Identify the likely outcome if an interviewer expects a candidate to be unfriendly and behaves coldly first.

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy: the candidate may respond coldly, confirming the expectation. Behavioral confirmation occurs when expectations shape interactions.

Flashcard 37: What is stereotype threat in social psychology?

Answer: Performance impairment from fear of confirming a negative stereotype. Occurs when awareness of negative stereotypes creates anxiety that disrupts performance.

Flashcard 38: What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in social psychology?

Answer: A belief that elicits behaviors that make the belief come true. The belief creates expectations that influence behavior, making the belief reality.

Flashcard 39: Identify whether this scenario is stereotype threat or self-fulfilling prophecy: A label of "math test" lowers a woman's score.

Answer: Stereotype threat. Test label activates gender-math stereotypes causing internal performance anxiety.

Flashcard 40: Which intervention most directly reduces stereotype threat by affirming self-worth?

Answer: Self-affirmation of important personal values. Bolsters self-concept to buffer against stereotype-based threats.

Flashcard 41: Which classic study demonstrated teacher expectations affecting student performance (Pygmalion effect)?

Answer: Rosenthal and Jacobson study. Showed randomly labeled "bloomers" improved due to teacher expectations.

Flashcard 42: Identify the concept: A teacher labels a child as "gifted," provides more attention, and scores rise.

Answer: Pygmalion (Rosenthal) effect. Positive expectations create supportive environments.

Flashcard 43: What is the Golem effect?

Answer: Lower expectations lead to poorer performance (negative self-fulfilling prophecy). Opposite of Pygmalion; low expectations harm performance.

Flashcard 44: What type of task is most likely to show stereotype threat effects?

Answer: Difficult, evaluative tasks where the stereotype is relevant. Complex tasks requiring high cognitive load maximize vulnerability to threat effects.

Flashcard 45: What is the Golem effect in educational or workplace settings?

Answer: Lower expectations lead to poorer performance. Named after the Jewish folklore creature, represents negative expectancy effects.

Flashcard 46: Which testing condition most likely increases stereotype threat for a stigmatized group?

Answer: Describing the test as diagnostic of innate ability. Framing as ability measure activates stereotype concerns.

Flashcard 47: Identify the intervention that reduces stereotype threat by reframing arousal as normal for tests.

Answer: Stress reappraisal (arousal normalization). Reframing test anxiety as normal reduces threat-related impairment.

Flashcard 48: Which construct primarily involves the target's fear of confirming a stereotype: stereotype threat or self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer: Stereotype threat. Threat involves target's internal anxiety, not external expectations.

Flashcard 49: What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in social psychology?

Answer: A belief that elicits behaviors that cause the belief to come true. Others' expectations shape behavior, creating a cycle that confirms the original belief.

Flashcard 50: Identify the concept: group-level stereotypes become self-relevant and shape behavior.

Answer: Self-stereotyping. Individuals apply group stereotypes to themselves, affecting behavior.

Flashcard 51: Which term describes chronic concern about being judged by stereotypes in daily life?

Answer: Stigma consciousness. Persistent awareness and worry about stereotype-based judgment.

Flashcard 52: What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in social psychology?

Answer: A belief that elicits behaviors that make the belief come true. Expectations shape reality through behavioral changes.

Flashcard 53: Which concept involves confirming a stereotype about one's own group through performance pressure?

Answer: Stereotype threat. Stereotype threat occurs when individuals experience pressure from awareness of ingroup stereotypes, potentially leading to behaviors that inadvertently confirm them.

Flashcard 54: What is the Golem effect in educational or workplace settings?

Answer: Lower expectations lead to worse performance via changed treatment. Negative expectations create limiting behaviors reducing outcomes.

Flashcard 55: Which concept requires an observer's expectation shaping another person's behavior: stereotype threat or self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy. Requires interpersonal dynamic where expectations influence target's behavior.

Flashcard 56: What is a common experimental manipulation used to induce stereotype threat?

Answer: Making group identity salient or framing the test as diagnostic. These methods activate stereotype-relevant concerns experimentally.

Flashcard 57: Identify the term: describing a test as measuring "ability" causes lower scores in a stereotyped group.

Answer: Stereotype threat (diagnostic framing effect). Diagnostic framing activates concerns about confirming stereotypes.

Flashcard 58: Which cognitive resource is commonly reduced under stereotype threat: working memory or long-term memory storage?

Answer: Working memory. Anxiety consumes cognitive resources needed for complex tasks.

Flashcard 59: Which condition most directly activates stereotype threat: making group identity salient or not mentioning it?

Answer: Making group identity salient. Reminding people of their group membership activates associated stereotypes.

Flashcard 60: Identify whether this is stereotype threat or self-fulfilling prophecy: "The teacher expects less, so gives less help."

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy. External expectations shape behavior, creating prophecy fulfillment.

Flashcard 61: Identify the scenario: a supervisor's low expectations lead to less training and poor output.

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy (Golem effect pathway). Low expectations create reduced opportunities and support.

Flashcard 62: What is stereotype lift (sometimes called stereotype boost) for members of non-stereotyped groups?

Answer: Improved performance when a negative outgroup stereotype is salient. Comparison with stereotyped outgroups boosts confidence and performance.

Flashcard 63: What is meant by stereotype lift?

Answer: Improved performance when a negative outgroup stereotype is salient. Comparison to stereotyped outgroup boosts ingroup performance.

Flashcard 64: What is values affirmation as a strategy relevant to reducing stereotype threat effects?

Answer: Brief writing that affirms personal values to buffer threat and stress. Strengthens self-integrity to protect against identity threats.

Flashcard 65: Which emotional state is most commonly increased during stereotype threat in testing situations?

Answer: Anxiety. Fear of confirming stereotypes triggers physiological stress response.

Flashcard 66: Which intervention reduces stereotype threat by having students reflect on core personal values?

Answer: Self-affirmation. Strengthens self-concept to buffer against stereotype threats.

Flashcard 67: What is the key difference between stereotype threat and a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer: Threat is internal fear; prophecy is others' expectations shaping outcomes. Distinguishes internal anxiety from external expectation effects.

Flashcard 68: What is stereotype threat in the context of performance on evaluative tasks?

Answer: Performance impairment from fear of confirming a negative group stereotype. Stereotype threat arises when awareness of negative group stereotypes creates anxiety, impairing cognitive resources and performance in relevant domains.

Flashcard 69: What is the Rosenthal effect in relation to self-fulfilling prophecies?

Answer: Teacher expectations shape student performance (Pygmalion effect). High expectations lead to better outcomes through differential treatment.

Flashcard 70: Identify the concept: a person avoids a domain over time to protect self-esteem after repeated threat.

Answer: Disidentification from the domain. Chronic threat leads to psychological withdrawal from field.

Flashcard 71: Identify the term for the target of a self-fulfilling prophecy internalizing the expectation and acting accordingly.

Answer: Internalization of expectations. Target adopts others' expectations as self-concept, fulfilling the prophecy.

Flashcard 72: What is the Pygmalion effect (Rosenthal effect) in educational settings?

Answer: Higher expectations lead to improved performance via changed treatment. Positive expectations create supportive behaviors enhancing results.

Flashcard 73: Which experimental manipulation most directly increases stereotype threat before a test?

Answer: Making group identity salient (for example, asking for race or sex). Demographic questions activate stereotypic associations.

Flashcard 74: Which concept best fits: a teacher expects low ability, treats a student differently, and the student later performs poorly?

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy. Teacher's expectations shape behavior toward student, creating the predicted outcome.

Flashcard 75: What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in social psychology?

Answer: A belief that elicits behaviors that cause the belief to come true. Initial expectations shape behaviors that make expectations reality.

Flashcard 76: Which option best reduces stereotype threat: emphasizing fixed ability or emphasizing malleable ability?

Answer: Emphasizing malleable ability (growth mindset framing). Growth mindset reduces fixed-ability stereotype pressure.

Flashcard 77: What is the typical emotional response associated with stereotype threat during evaluation?

Answer: Increased anxiety and stress arousal. Stereotype threat triggers physiological and emotional stress responses that interfere with optimal performance in evaluative situations.

Flashcard 78: Identify the most direct way to reduce stereotype threat during testing.

Answer: Reduce stereotype salience (for example, describe test as non-diagnostic). Framing tests as non-evaluative removes threat activation.

Flashcard 79: What is a self-fulfilling prophecy in social psychology?

Answer: A belief that evokes behaviors that make the belief come true. Self-fulfilling prophecies occur when expectations influence interactions, eliciting behaviors that confirm the initial belief.

Flashcard 80: Which concept explains why making a stigmatized identity salient can lower performance on a related task?

Answer: Stereotype threat. Reminding people of stereotypes triggers performance anxiety.

Flashcard 81: Which concept is primarily intrapersonal during testing: stereotype threat or self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer: Stereotype threat. Individual's internal anxiety response without requiring interpersonal interaction.

Flashcard 82: Identify the scenario: Students labeled "high potential" receive more feedback and later score higher. What effect is shown?

Answer: Pygmalion effect (self-fulfilling prophecy via expectations). The Pygmalion effect shows how labeling influences teacher behavior, providing enhanced support that improves labeled students' performance.

Flashcard 83: Which condition must be present for stereotype threat to occur: stereotype is relevant to the task or irrelevant?

Answer: Stereotype is relevant to the task and identity is salient. Threat occurs when stereotypes apply to the performance domain.

Flashcard 84: What is the primary outcome measured in stereotype threat experiments?

Answer: Reduced performance on a relevant task (for example, a test score). Studies measure actual performance decrements when stereotypes are activated.

Flashcard 85: Which intervention is designed to reduce stereotype threat by framing ability as improvable?

Answer: Growth mindset intervention. Emphasizes effort over fixed traits to reduce threat.

Flashcard 86: Identify the scenario: A woman underperforms on math after being told men usually do better. What is it?

Answer: Stereotype threat. This scenario illustrates stereotype threat, where explicit mention of gender stereotypes induces anxiety that hampers the woman's math performance.

Flashcard 87: Which term refers to an observer's expectations changing a target's behavior to match them?

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy. Observer's beliefs influence target's actions through differential treatment.

Flashcard 88: What is stereotype boost?

Answer: Performance improvement when a positive ingroup stereotype is salient. Positive stereotypes about one's group enhance performance confidence.

Flashcard 89: Which term refers to lowering expectations and performance because low ability is assumed (negative prophecy)?

Answer: Golem effect. Negative expectations reduce performance through diminished support.

Flashcard 90: Which term refers to the tendency to interpret ambiguous behavior as confirming stereotypes?

Answer: Confirmation bias. Selective attention to information supporting existing beliefs.

Flashcard 91: Which construct describes biased expectations that alter a target's behavior: stereotype threat or self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy. Prophecies involve external expectations changing behavior, not internal fear.

Flashcard 92: What is the difference between stereotype threat and prejudice?

Answer: Threat is internal performance pressure; prejudice is an attitude toward a group. Stereotype threat stems from self-imposed pressure to avoid confirming stereotypes, whereas prejudice involves biased attitudes held by others toward groups.

Flashcard 93: What is stereotype reactance?

Answer: Improved performance due to motivation to disconfirm a stereotype. Defiance of stereotypes motivates enhanced effort and performance.

Flashcard 94: Identify the phenomenon: a teacher's low expectations lead to fewer opportunities and a student's worse performance.

Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy. Teacher expectations create differential treatment affecting outcomes.

Flashcard 95: Which intervention reduces stereotype threat by strengthening self-integrity before a task?

Answer: Self-affirmation (values affirmation) exercise. Affirming core values buffers against identity threats.

Flashcard 96: Which concept describes performance changes caused by awareness of a group stereotype: stereotype threat or self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer: Stereotype threat. Awareness of stereotypes directly impacts performance without interpersonal dynamics.

Flashcard 97: What is the classic research finding from the Pygmalion effect (Rosenthal and Jacobson)?

Answer: Teacher expectations can raise or lower student performance. The Pygmalion effect demonstrates how positive or negative teacher expectations can influence student achievement through differential treatment and opportunities.

Flashcard 98: What is the Golem effect?

Answer: Lower expectations lead to worse performance (self-fulfilling prophecy). Named after the Jewish folklore creature; opposite of Pygmalion effect.

Flashcard 99: Which option is the clearest example of a self-fulfilling prophecy in a classroom?

Answer: Teacher expects low ability, gives less support, student performance declines. Low expectations lead to reduced support, creating actual performance deficits.

Flashcard 100: Which concept best explains lowered test scores after making a negative stereotype salient?

Answer: Stereotype threat. Making stereotypes salient triggers anxiety that impairs cognitive performance.