1. The effect of self-affirmation on the consequences of stereotype threat among mature-age university students
- Author
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Von Hippel, Courtney and Wright, Thomas
- Subjects
self-affirmation ,Behavioral Disciplines and Activities ,mature-age students ,stereotype threat ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Psychiatry and Psychology - Abstract
This study aims to determine if self-affirmation plays a role in buffering the relationship between stereotype threat and belonging, optimism, and self-efficacy in mature-age university students. It will form the basis of an Honours project for the fourth year of the Bachelor of Psychological Sciences (Honours), at the University of Queensland, Australia. Stereotype threat is a psychosocial phenomenon that applies to group members undertaking any activity, about which a negative stereotype for their group performing said activity exists (Steele, 1997). Originally studied in the academic performance of African-American students, the theory has been extended from racial-based stereotypes to encompass both gender-based and age-based stereotypes (Pennington et al., 2016). To date, little work has focused on mature-age students in tertiary education. Qualitative research has indicated that mature-age students are stereotyped (Mallman & Lee, 2016; Richardson, 1994), making them susceptible to stereotype threat. While there is limited evidence, mature age students are often stereotyped to be “deficient in the basic skills needed for effective studying in higher education, or to be impaired by age-related intellectual deficits” (Richardson, 1994, p. 373). More recent research has delved into non-traditional students and their ‘otherness’ as a function of their age (Read et al., 2003). Common stereotypes that mature-age students experience include asking too many questions, telling too many personal stories, as well as other stereotypes consistent with ageist tropes that older adults face (Krishnan, 2019). While self-efficacy has been studied as a direct determinant of tertiary education success (Zajacova et al., 2005), optimism and belonging have both been linked with satisfaction and subjective wellbeing (Fan et al., 2021; Rand et al., 2020), which is likely to contributes to tertiary education success. For the first time, the relationship between stereotype threat and these outcomes will be explored in a population of mature-age tertiary students (30 years and older). Further to this, a brief self-affirmation intervention will be introduced to determine if the negative consequences of stereotype threat can be buffered, as it has in other populations. Mature-age students are a growing segment of the university population, and as people continue to work longer, and have more careers before retirement, it is set to expand even further. Understanding the impacts of stereotype threat, and determining strategies to ameliorate its negative effects, will provide benefits to the health and wellbeing of mature-age students.
- Published
- 2023
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