They define stereotype threat as the uneasiness women and minorities feel when they believe they might reinforce a negative stereotype. They further suggest that members of stereotyped groups feel threatened because stereotypes lead people to believe in group-based limitations within certain cultures. When women and minorities feel threatened in academic environments, their performance is affected to such a degree that they lose interest and may stop identifying with the entire learning activity. Because negative stereotypes also threaten self-esteem, some people may disengage from the academic environment completely.
Negative stereotypes contribute to people feeling threatened.
Performance anxiety, such as test anxiety, can interfere with cognitive tasks and affect performance. Psychological disengagement occurs in domains where stereotype threat is persistent. Aronson et al. suggest that the more a person cares about being good at something, the greater his or her concern will be about confirming the stereotype. They further suggest that the people who are least likely to internalize, or accept, a stereotype are also often the ones who will be most concerned about their performance because people tend to identify with things they are good at. In his review article, Aronson et al. mention two studies that involve women and minorities in test-taking situations.