The Evidence That Working Memory Capacity Mediates And Moderates Stereotype Threat Effect

Stereotype is the highly generalized and inflexible concept of certain group’s features, attributes and behaviors. Stereotype threat effect is a phenomenon that after situational cues inducing the stereotype, the target’s performance will be negatively affected because of his or her worries. The integrated process model of stereotype threat effect includes the physiology, emotion and cognition processes. It indicates that stereotype threat effect is a complex and integrated mental process. The decreased working memory capacity directly impairs target’s performance in this model. The current study focuses on the mediation and moderation role of working memory capacity in the stereotype threat effect.The study includes three experiments. The participants are undergraduates and the experiments are set in the gender stereotype about math ability. Experiment 1 is designed as a 2 (gender:male/female) ×3 (experimental manipulation:explicit stereotype threat cues/implicit stereotype threat cues/control group) study between subjects. The variance of working memory capacity is observed. The methods and results will be the basis for the following experiments. Experiment 2 is designed to test the relationship among the stereotype threat, working memory capacity and standardized math test. The female participants are recruited to finish the working memory span task and standardized math test in experimental group or control group. Experiment 3 is designed as a 2 (gender:male/female)×2 (experimental manipulation: experimental group/control group) ×2 (working memory capacity:high working memory/low working memory) study between subjects. The result of standardized math test is observed to examine whether working memory capacity moderates the stereotype threat effect.Here are the results,First, under the gender stereotype threat about math ability, explicit and implicit stereotype threat cues both impair the female’s performance in working memory span test.Second, under the gender stereotype threat about math ability, the variance of performance in working memory span test can accounted for the decreased performance of female in the standardized math test. Working memory capacity mediates the stereotype threat effect on standardized math test.Third, compared to the female with low working memory, female with high working memory can restrain the negative effect under the gender stereotype threat about math ability. Working memory capacity moderates the stereotype threat effect on standardized math test.