In the stereotypes-and-athletes study, which psychological phenomenon was most clearly demonstrated when athletes performed worse after being reminded of negative stereotypes about their group?

• A. Stereotype threat
• B. Group polarization
• C. Social facilitation
• D. Self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key terms in the problem. The question involves athletes performing worse after being reminded of negative stereotypes about their group, so focus on psychological phenomena related to performance and stereotypes.
2. Step 2: Define 'Stereotype threat'—it is the situational predicament where individuals feel at risk of confirming negative stereotypes about their social group, which can impair their performance.
3. Step 3: Consider 'Group polarization'—this refers to the tendency of group members to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of their members, which is unrelated to individual performance under stereotype pressure.
4. Step 4: Review 'Social facilitation'—this phenomenon describes improved performance on simple tasks in the presence of others, which contrasts with the observed performance decline in the problem.
5. Step 5: Examine 'Self-fulfilling prophecy'—this is when a belief or expectation brings about its own fulfillment, but in the context of the problem, the specific mechanism of performance decline due to stereotype awareness aligns best with stereotype threat.