Claude Mason Steele is an African-American social psychologist. He is best known for his work on stereotype threat and its application to minority student academic performance. Throughout his academic career his work focused on three main domain of research in subject areas of social psychology, stereotype threat, self-affirmation and addictive behaviors. The above-mentioned case falls under stereotype threat which occurs when people are at risk for living up to a negative stereotype about their group. Lindsay, though has good grades in Chemistry and Physics, is in the verge of getting a low grade or worse fail her Physics exam thinking that she is outnumbered by male graduate school examiners. To better understand stereotype threat, the following are its impact on people's behavior: reduced effort - fear resulting to reduced effort to make an excuse to failure;disengaging - being not good at something will make the person to disengage in that area;and changing aspirations and career goals. However, there also ways to reduce stereotype threat and they are as follows: providing role models - observing and following role models are motivation; encouraging self-affirmation; and emphasizing motivation and effort. Although stereotype threat is a significant concern in vulnerable individuals (people like Lindsay), following the aforementioned steps in reducing stereotype threat may reduced it. In Lindsay's case, she can choose to perform less, that is getting low score/grades in Physics (reduced effort) or she can choose to be better and get the best score she can (encouraging self-affirmation or emphasizing motivation and effort).
