Implicit Bias and Stereotype Threat in Higher
Education
Rutgers Psychology Department
Rachel D. Godsil
Seton Hall University School of Law
“Human intelligence is among the most
fragile things in nature. It doesn’t take much
to distract it, suppress it, or even annihilate
it.”
--Neil Postman
The role of attitudes
Attitude—is relevant to almost every topic in
social psychology. It is relevant to the selfconcept, person perception, intergroup
relations, close relationships, social
influence, helping, and aggression.
---Nilanjana Dasgupta
Pre-college experience
King County Children
Mixed Picture of Success
 Percentages of high
school graduates from
King County who go to
college:
 75.6% Asian/Pacific
Islander
 62.8% White
 61.2% African American
 49.5% Latino
 42.7% American
Indian/Alaska Native
Race and Suspension
(Losen & Martinez, 2013)
30
25
24.3
20
Black
White
15
Latino
11.8
12
10
5
6.1
6
5.6
2.4
8.4
7.1
2.3
0
1972-73
2009-10
American Ind.
Asian American
We know teachers want to be fair
 “disrespect or
loitering.”
(Losen & Martinez, 2013)
 62 points on the
SAT
(Watson & Sencer, 2012)
 less critical
feedback and overpraise.
(Harber, 2012)
Dynamics Replicated
Implicit Biases
Racial Anxieties
Stereotype Threats
Name the colors of the text
below.
Name the colors of the text
below
How do we measure bias?
 Implicit Association Test
(found at Project
Implicit)
 Measures time
differences between
“schema consistent
pairings” and “scheme
inconsistent pairings”
 Most people perform
second task more slowly.
The Race Effect (2014 Nextions study)
Tom Meyer (White)
Tom Meyer (Black)
“generally good writer but
needs to work on”
“needs lots of work”
“has potential”
“good analytic skills”
2.9/7 spelling grammar errors
were found
4.1/6 technical writing errors
found
3/17/2016
“can’t believe he went to NYU”
“average at best”
5.8/7 spelling grammar errors
found
4.9/6 technical writing errors
found
Consequences of “kindness”
Failure to Warn (Cronin et al,
Unwarranted Praise (Harber,
2006)
2012)

Calculus and Chemistry
◦ Best subjects history and
biology/worst is math
◦ Tutoring?
◦ Time for other activities?
◦ How difficult?


Too hard?
For White students but not
for Black students (if the
peer advisor is worried about
seeming racist)

Poorly written essay – what
kind of feedback
◦ Praise and little criticism to
Black and Latino students.
◦ Critiques for White students.
◦ Except if teacher feels
supported by principal – then
Black and White students
treated the same.
◦ Latino students still overly
praised.
Displaying Implicit Bias
Who does the Professor
call on?
How are answers
received?
Body language after class
or in the halls?
What about other
students?
What can be done?
•
•
•
•
•
Identify actions linked
to stereotypes
Make accessible
counter-stereotypic
images
Individuation
Empathic perspectivetaking
Inter-racial
engagement (Devine et al.
2012)
Resilliance Strategies
Anticipation and
detachment (Defoe, 2013)
•We are not homogenous –
and will experience our
identities – gender, race,
ethnicity, class -differently.
•If and when experience
stereotyping behavior, work
to develop a sense of
objectivity (it’s them, not
me).
The Role of Networks
•
•
•
Ideally, both within group
and inter-group for
combination of support
and perspective.
Mentors can serve as
exemplars and guides.
Develop a comfort with
authentic presentation of
self.
Stereotype Threat
Steele & Aronson (1995)
Key Conclusions From Over 350 Published
Studies
Underestimate academic capacity of ST threatened
students by .18 standard deviation akin to 62 points
on SAT (Walton & Spencer meta analysis, 2009)
Impairment occurs on tests, can affect GPA, and inclass experience due to vigilance for cues of bias (e.g.
Sherman et al., 2013)
Impairment on tests results from anxiety, arousal,
reduced working memory capacity, impaired selfregulation; not typically a function of reduced effort;
induces high blood pressure (Aronson, 2012)
Is less likely when there is “critical mass”
(adapted in part from Aronson, 2012)
the stories that
The stories students tell themselves in moments of
transition can have lasting impact as they are in the
opening passage of their narrative. (Walton & Cohen, 2011);
Wilson, 2011)
Direct Interventions
Social belonging: survey results that upper-year
students of all races felt out of place when they
began but that the feeling abated over time.
Wise criticism: Feedback that communicates both high
expectations and a confidence that an individual can
meet those expectations.
Behavioral scripts: Clear norms of behavior and terms
of discussion can reduce racial anxiety and prevent
stereotype threat from being triggered.
Growth mindset: Teaching people that abilities are
learnable/incremental, rather than fixed.
Value-affirmation: Encouraging students to recall their
values and reasons for engaging in a task. (Godsil et al.,
2014; Erman & Walton, 2014)
Stereotype inoculation model
Student sex
(moderator)
Identification
with STEM
experts
(moderator)
STEM
attitudes
Gender composition
of STEM environment
Professors
Other
experts
Peers
STEM
identification
Future
career
intentions
about
STEM
Self-efficacy,
behaviors
show interest
Stout, Dasgupta, Hunsinger, & McManus (2011). STEMing the tide: Using ingroup experts to inoculate
women’s self-concept in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 100, 255-270
Wise Criticism (Cohen, Steele, & Ross, 1999)
How We Use Our Power
Michelle Adams, Brown ‘85