The Reduction of Stereotype Threat and the Development of Positive Self-Concept at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

• In Event: Closer Examiniations of the Historically Black College and University Environment

Abstract

Using Steele’s concept of “stereotype threat” and Sedlacek’s noncognitive variable “positive self-concept” as the theoretical backdrop for the study, the researchers sought to answer the following question: How was stereotype threat perceived by high-achieving Black male graduate students during their undergraduate studies at an HBCU and how, if at all, did the HBCU experience contribute to their positive self-concept and academic success? The preliminary findings indicate that HBCUs contributed significantly to the removal of stereotype threat. The perceptions of the participants regarding their undergraduate experience confirmed that their HBCU created an environment that affirmed their sense of belonging, encouraged their identification with positive aspects of the domain, and promoted high achievement in African-American men.

Authors

• Charles Robert Shorette, NASPA Research & Policy Institute

• Robert Terry Palmer, Binghamton University - SUNY