Experiment: The Dumb Jock

Mark John Paul V. Caneso PSY 101 – P July 4, 2013 Critical Thinking Paper Chapter 1 – re: Stereotypes, Athletes, and College Test Performance (page32) 1. In this experiment, what might be some extraneous variables affecting the students’ test performance? 2. What might educators do to try to prevent the effect of the “dumb jock” negative stereotype on college athletes? The experiment done by Jameson, Diehl, and Danso, attests that a negative stereotype, being referred to as a “dumb jock”, may have negative impacts on the test performance of athletes. There were two groups in their experiment. The experimental group was exposed to hints of negative stereotypes through a questionnaire before the examination while the control was exposed to the negative stereotypes after the test. The questionnaire brought to their attention the possibility that they may have been given special treatment and considerations due to the fact that they are athletes. Somehow, the experiment proved that there is a negative correlation between the exposure of the athletes to negative stereotypes and their performance in taking tests. More exposure to negative stereotypes brought lower scores while less exposure to these stereotypes brought higher scores.

For the experimental group, it is possible that answering the questionnaire that exposed them to the dumb jock stereotype lowered their self-regard that led them to getting low test results. The questionnaire gave them the idea that they are only accepted in the university because of their athletic skills and not because of their academic skills. With this kind of thinking, they might have exerted less effort in answering the questions of the test because they do not believe that they will get a high grade. He might probably think that the society’s expectations regarding his test scores won’t be high and that he, himself, is led to believe that he is accepted in the university as an athlete rather than a student. Similar to