The enemy within: Stereotype threat and the disarming of American servicewomen

The "women in combat" debate---a discussion that attempts to determine whether or not women should be allowed to serve in Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) currently closed to them---is less important today than it has been in the past. Women currently serving in support units have seen and will continue to confront combat due to the modern nature of asymmetric war. With this is mind, scholars and military professionals need to focus on ways to prepare individuals should they confront combat rather than discuss if they are able. Beyond the biology or socialization literature that claims women are ill equipped to soldier, I claim that a social psychological phenomenon, stereotype threat, may undermine women's performance, and thus, lead observers to conclude that they are inferior soldiers. Stereotype threat is the concern that an individual may be at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one's group. That is, the added anxiety associated with disconfirming a stereotype may undermine performance. Since military minority groups are likely to confront stereotypes, it is crucial to understand how those stereotypes emerge and endure in the military context. This project includes two social psychology experiments that investigate to what extent stereotype threat affects the performance of female Marines on rifle (Study 1) and pistol (Study 2) marksmanship qualifications. Results indicate that the most competent marksmen are vulnerable to stereotype threat. Both male and female expert marksman underperformed significantly on the rifle marksmanship qualification when under stereotype threat. Moreover, 35 in-depth interviews were conducted with active duty Marines to better understand how negative stereotypes about female Marines emerge and endure in the military context. The analysis illustrates the impact stereotypes can have on the performance of servicewomen through a discussion of five themes. Ramifications of those effects for individual Marines as well as the greater Marine Corps community are also addressed. Since this self-induced threat may be responsible for leading scholars to conclude that servicewomen are ill equipped to soldier, it is important to demonstrate the effects of stereotype threat with respect to performance in the military.