Stereotype Threat and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy (8B) Practice Test

A coach assumes that shorter players are “not leadership material.” During games, the coach gives shorter players fewer chances to call plays and often ignores their suggestions. One shorter player, Eli, stops offering ideas and avoids directing teammates; later, the coach says Eli “never showed leadership,” using this as evidence for the original assumption. Based on the vignette, what outcome is most consistent with self-fulfilling prophecy?

A tech company assigns Jordan, one of the few older employees on a new software team, to present a live demo to visiting executives. Before the meeting, a coworker jokes that “older folks always struggle with the new interface,” and the team lead asks Jordan to “keep it simple so no one gets lost.” Jordan, who usually performs well, feels pressure not to confirm the stereotype and becomes unusually cautious, making several avoidable errors during the demo. Which outcome is most consistent with stereotype threat in this situation?