What is the relationship between stereotype threat and anxiety?
What is the relationship between stereotype threat and anxiety?
Sociology as a discipline defines stereotype as the over-generalization of beliefs about a particular group of people. Expectations on first impressions arise due to this very reason.
An individual or a group can be stereotyped based on their age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, etc. Stereotype threat refers to how an individual or a group confirms the negative stereotypes about their race, ethnicity, gender, age, or culture, which can exert high cognitive pressure and hamper academic focus and performance.
The stigmatized individuals internalize these negative stereotypes that affect their behavior, inflicting a reduced sense of self-worth, lowered confidence level, and anxiety. This anxiety affects an individual’s psychological and physiological well-being, as a result of which the individual’s mundane performance is disrupted.
For example, an Asian individual might face a regular race-based stereotype threat at her workplace. The threat might get intensified due to her gender. This might affect her behavior, and she might feel anxious whenever she comes to her workplace. This psychological pressure will undoubtedly affect her performance level as she might not be able to work efficiently in such a hostile environment.
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