In initiating a racially-fueled social structure, an individual’s personal exposure to a racial group may become diluted by preconceived notions of a racial group’s characteristic behavior, as described by the general populace. Stereotypes pose significant threat to those who are being stereotyped. Michael Omi and Howard Winant of “Racial Formation in the United States” bring light to a common outlook on stereotyping as a means of derogating an individual or racial group. In doing so, a superiority complex is instilled in the stereotyping individual, usually an individual of a different race than the race being stereotyped (Omi and Winant 59-60). A lesser known effect of stereotyping can be explored when the racial group or individual experiencing the stereotyping, internalizes the particular mindset surrounding their race and goes on to consciously or subconsciously emulate the preconceived characteristic behaviors of their race.

This phenomenon is known as a stereotype threat, and the preconceived notions of racial behavior are means of sparking a self-fulfilling prophecy. Lee Jussim et al. in “Stigma and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies” interprets a self-fulfilling prophecy as being “an initially erroneous social belief that leads to its own fulfillment” (376). These stereotype threats engender characteristic behaviors within a wide spectrum of ethnic groups.

In portraying the negative consequences following stereotype threat within school settings, “On Interpreting Stereotype Threat as Accounting for African American-White Differences on Cognitive Tests” will be cited. During the year 1995, a series of surveys were conducted on both White and African African sophomores by psychologists C. M. Steel and J. Arson. In these surveys, groups of sophomores were given exams similar in difficulty to the SAT. Prior to these exams, students were asked to identify their ethnic makeup, ultimately making their race salient (Sackett, Hardison, and Cullen 1-3). Sackett, Hardison, and Cullen investigated the outcomes of these surveys and found ethnic makeup to be a key factor in influencing a student’s self-perceived ability (2). A gap of 150 points, on average, was found between White and African American students, the former performing better than the latter. This number in an of itself does not validate the effect of stereotype threat on performance, but the coupling of this information with differences between two experimental groups of African American students helps substantiate, at the very least, some minutiae effect of stereotyping on test performance. The first of the two experimental groups was informed that the exam was used as a means of research. The second of the two groups was told that the exam was used as a means of testing their respective abilities. The first experimental group performed similar to the groups of White students while the second experimental group performed half as well (Sackett, Hardison, and Cullen 2). African American students who had known that this test was a means of testing personal ability, seemingly disparaged themselves on the basis of their race. This experiment may not be indicative of every racial group, but the advent of race as a means of self-limiting is evident. Societal constructs will continue to influence society’s outlook on all races. Once exposed to these outlooks, racial groups may mirror these outlooks within different settings.