Distracted by the unthought - Suppression and reappraisal of mind wandering under stereotype threat

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Previous research has found that subtle reminders of negative stereotypes about one's group can lead individuals to underperform on stereotype-relevant tests (e.g., women in math, ethnic minorities on intelligence tests). This so called stereotype threat effect can contribute to systematic group differences in performance that can obscure the true abilities of certain social groups and thereby sustain social inequalities. In the present study, we examined processes underlying stereotype threat effects on women's math performance, specifically focusing on the role of suppression of mind wandering (i.e., task-irrelevant thinking) in stereotype threat (ST) and no threat (NT) situations. Based on a process model of stereotype threat effects on performance, we hypothesized that women under stereotype threat spontaneously suppress mind wandering, and that this suppression impairs performance. An alternative regulation strategy that prevents suppression (i.e., reappraising task-irrelevant thoughts as normal) was predicted to prevent stereotype threat effects on performance. We manipulated stereotype threat (ST vs. NT) and cognitive regulation strategy (suppression, reappraisal, or no strategy) and measured women's performance on a math and a concentration task (N = 113). We expected three groups to perform relatively more poorly: Those in ST with either no strategy or suppression and those in NT with a suppression strategy. We tested the performance of these groups against the remaining three groups hypothesized to perform relatively better: those in NT with no strategy or reappraisal and those in ST with reappraisal. The results showed the expected pattern for participants' math performance, but not for concentration achievement. This pattern suggests that ineffective self-regulation by suppressing mind wandering can at least partly explain stereotype threat effects on performance, whereas a reappraisal strategy can prevent this impairment. We discuss implications for the understanding of processes underlying stereotype threat effects and the benefits of reappraising subjective experience under threat.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0122207
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume10
Issue number3
Number of pages13
ISSN1932-6203
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 27.03.2015
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright: © 2015 Schuster et al.

    Research areas

  • Psychology - Cogeneration, Anxiety, Achivement tests, Cognitive impairment, Metacognition, Working memory, Emotions, Intelligence tests

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. The alleged non-existence of cultural genocide
  2. Abschluss des Vertrages
  3. Versuch, Vollendung, Beendigung und Verjährung
  4. Diversität als Chance
  5. Parteienfinanzierung
  6. The Contentious Jurisdiction of the Permanent Court
  7. Short-term effectiveness of web-based guided self-help for phobic outpatients
  8. The effects of contemporaneous peer punishment on cooperation with the future
  9. Abschluss des Vertrages
  10. Ammonia volatilization after application of biogas slurries in a coastal marsh region of Northern Germany
  11. Hildegard Domizlaff
  12. Modernisierung im Wiederaufbau oder Restauration?
  13. How Organizations Manage the Future
  14. The Territory as Creative Force
  15. Unternehmensbewertung von KMU
  16. Sondernummer TEMI – Teaching Enquiry with Mysteries incorporated
  17. Response shifts in mental health interventions
  18. Contradictions in German Penal Practices
  19. Handbook on Maritime Hybrid Threats — 10 Scenarios and Legal Scans
  20. Balloons, Sweat and Technologies
  21. Emission pathways towards a low-carbon energy system for Europe:
  22. Dissensuelle Partizipation
  23. Design und Evaluation von interaktiven webbasierten Bruchrechenaufgaben
  24. Key questions and uncertainties associated with the assessment of the cropland greenhouse gas balance
  25. Long-term degradation of Sahelian rangeland detected by 27 years of field study in Senegal
  26. Stratified prevention: opportunities and limitations
  27. Das Kunstwerk ist nicht a priori gegeben. Der Benutzer bringt es hervor
  28. The TPPA, Agribusiness and Rural Livelihoods
  29. Rekonstruktive Forschung mit Akteuren im frühpädagogischen Praxisfeld
  30. The art of gentrification
  31. Distracted by the unthought - Suppression and reappraisal of mind wandering under stereotype threat
  32. RAF und der neue "Faschismus"
  33. Introduction
  34. Property Meeting the Challenge of the Commons
  35. Berufsbezogene Psychotherapie
  36. Bildung, Biografie und Anerkennung
  37. Reacting against treaty breaches
  38. Customer Engagement Benefits
  39. Interdisziplinäres Arbeiten der Zivilgerichte
  40. Cologne: Inside Out
  41. Das Linzer Konzept der Klassenführung (LKK)
  42. Mit allem rechnen