“Stereotype threat” refers to the process by which people who belong to a particular group find themselves conforming to stereotypes about that group. An example of this is a study in which female chess players performed worse against male opponents if they were first informed of the stereotype that females were worse than males at chess. Analyze the impact of stereotype threat on the formation of the self.

What will be an ideal response?

Stereotype threat is a type of an other-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy. The women in the chess study were told that others believed they were worse than men at chess. This stereotype informed their predictions about how they would do in a chess match against a male opponent, which led them to perceive themselves as at a disadvantage or less able. Afterward, their perceptions of the match may have been that their loss was expected or even inevitable because of this stereotype, which does not contribute to the formation of a self based on ability but based on gender.