Page 128 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

102 microaggressive stress

of intelligence, ” in which certain racial groups are presumed to be intellectually
inferior. For example, a common stereotype for African Americans is that they
lack global abstract/conceptual reasoning, have lower intellectual skills, and
are not capable of higher - level thinking (Jones, 1997). While women are seen
as having higher verbal skills, they lack mathematical and scientifi c type
reasoning that is required in objective linear thinking (Cadinu et al., 2005).
Asian Americans are perceived as having high mathematical/science skills,
but weaker verbal and people skills (Sue & Sue, 2008).

The concept of stereotype threat was first proposed by Steele (Steele, 1997;
2003; Steele et al., 2002) to describe a process by which many bright Black
students underperform on intellectual tests not because of biology, lack of
preparation, or poor motivation, but due to the chance that they will confi rm a
stereotype. The threat instigates two psychological processes: (1) apprehension

that one will be evaluated by the stereotype and confirm it, and (2) protective

disidentification or a tendency to reject the situation, deeming it irrelevant
or unimportant. In other words, at the cognitive level the person tells him-
self or herself that the situation doesn ’ t mean much, thereby separating self -
esteem from outcome. Steele tested this hypothesis by selecting outstanding
Black and White math students and giving them a diffi cult math test. In one
condition (stereotype threat), students were told the test was a problem-solving
exam, and in the other condition (nonthreat), the students were assured the
test was not a measure of problem solving or abilities. Blacks under the stere-
otype threat condition performed worse than their White counterparts, but
performed equally well under the nonthreat test conditions.
Stereotype threat has also been demonstrated in women who under-
perform in math tests. Using a similar strategy as Steele, investigators also
explored the internal thought processes of the women exposed to stereotype
threat (Cadinu et al., 2005). Not only did they underperform in the stere-
otype threat condition, but they recorded a higher number of negative intrusive
thoughts that interfered with their performance. These included negative

math - related thoughts, such as “ I am not good at math. I hate math ” and distress

reactions, such as “ I am so tired. ” Cognitive energy expenditure, disruption,

deflection, and fatigue may all result from microaggressions.
Behavioral Effects of Microaggressive Stressors

Throughout all our chapters, we have identified a number of behaviors and
coping responses used by people of color, women, and LGBTs to deal with

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