What term describes the self-confirming concern that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype?

• A. Self-fulfilling prophecy
• B. Halo effect
• C. Confirmation bias
• D. Stereotype threat

Answer: (D)

Stereotype threat describes the self-confirming concern that one’s performance will be judged or evaluated through the lens of a negative stereotype about one’s group. That fear can create anxiety and consume cognitive resources, such as working memory, during a test or evaluative situation, which often leads to poorer performance. As a result, the fear can become self-fulfilling, reinforcing the stereotype. This is distinct from the halo effect (where one trait biases judgments across other traits) and confirmation bias (the tendency to seek or interpret information that confirms preconceptions), and it’s more specific than a general self-fulfilling prophecy because the trigger is the stereotype about a group in an evaluative context.