Impact of Stereotype Threat on Attitudes toward Affirmative Action

Abstract

Attitudes toward affirmative action has been a research topic of great interest in the past decade. Like many policies, affirmative action success is highly dependent on the support of individuals within the organizations involved. It may be that the experience of stereotype threat, which recent research shows is easily induced and can drastically alter behavior, plays an important role in attitudes toward affirmative action. However, no studies to date have addressed the influence of stereotype threat on attitudes toward affirmative action. In this study, participants completed an online survey consisting of: a stereotype threat inducing scenario and related questions; the Affirmative Action Survey (Renfro et al., 2006); the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) short form (1974); and a single question to measure political ideology. Results indicated that stereotype threat did not influence individuals’ attitudes toward affirmative action. Exploratory analyses revealed a significant relationship between participant gender and attitudes toward affirmative action, when political ideology was not controlled for. These findings indicate that gender differences in political ideology significantly contribute to gender differences in attitudes toward affirmative action. However, more research is needed to explore the relationship among attitudes toward affirmative action, androgyny, and political ideology.