What is a stereotype threat? Give an example and discuss its implications for individuals and ...

A stereotype threat occurs when members of a social group such as visible minorities or women feel they might be judged or treated according to a stereotype and that their behaviour and/or performance will confirm the stereotype. The activation of a stereotype threat in a testing situation has been found to result in lower cognitive ability and math test scores of minorities and women. This means that individuals might not do well on selection tests and as a result will not be hired. Organizations might be losing good employees who perform poorly on selection tests because of a stereotype threat.