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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX™
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Stereotype threat

Overview

  • Influence: Stereotype threat
  • Domain: Student
  • Sub-Domain: Physical influences
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Likely to have a negative impact
  • Influence Definition: A person experiences stereotype threat when they perceive that they face judgement based on stereotypes about a group to which they ostensibly belong, such as a race, gender, or sexual minority.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 6
  • Number of studies: 298
  • Number of students: 19,563
  • Number of effects: 485
  • Weighted mean effect size: -0.14
  • Robustness index: 3

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Dissertation Mitchell An examination of stereotype threat on women's math performance: A meta-analysis 2014 Stereotype threat on girl's math 9 2,251 29 -0.64
Learning and Individual Differences Doyle & Voyer Stereotype manipulation effects on math and spatial test performance: A meta-analysis 2016 Threat and lift for males and females 86 NA 224 0.14
Journal of Applied Psychology Nguyen & Ryan Does stereotype threat affect test performance of minorities and women? A meta-analysis of experimental evidence 2008 Stereotype threat 116 7,964 116 -0.26
Journal of School Psychology Flore & Wicherts Does stereotype threat influence performance of girls in stereotyped domains? A meta-analysis 2015 Stereotype threat on girl's performance 26 3,760 47 -0.22
Conference paper Magoutier, Pansu, & Vallee Effect of stereotype threat on the performance of elementary school children: A meta-analysis 2023 Stereotype threat vs. no threat 17 NA 25 -0.17
The Journal of Social Psychology Picho, Rodriguez, & Finnie Exploring the moderating role of context on the mathematics performance of females under stereotype threat: A meta-analysis.  2013 Stereotype threat on girl's math 44 5,588 44 -0.24
TOTAL/AVERAGE 298 19,563 485 -0.23
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