An Initial Investigation into the Role of Stereotype Threat in the Test Performance of College Students with Learning Disabilities

Association on Higher Education and Disability. 107 Commerce Center Drive Suite 204, Huntersville, NC 28078. Tel: 704-947-7779; Fax: 704-948-7779; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.ahead.org/publications/jped

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Quasiexperimental Design; Stereotypes; Social Bias; Attitudes toward Disabilities; Learning Disabilities; Comparative Analysis; Logical Thinking; Verbal Communication; Reading Ability; Problem Solving; Social Psychology; Undergraduate Students; School Policy; Questionnaires; Student Characteristics; Hypothesis Testing

ACT Assessment; Graduate Record Examinations; SAT (College Admission Test)

In a quasi-experimental evaluation of the possible role of stereotype threat in the academic performance of college students with learning disabilities (LD), students with (N = 29) and without (N = 62) identified LD took a simulated Verbal GRE® task in one of two conditions modeled after those used in past stereotype threat (ST) research. The task was presented as either a measure of verbal reasoning and reading abilities (ST condition) or as a measure of problem-solving style (Reduced-Threat condition; [RT]). The traditional ST-related performance differences in accuracy were not found in the sample of undergraduates with LD; however, marginally significant differences in the efficiency with which students with LD completed test items in the RT condition relative to the ST condition suggest the need for follow-up research, given the frequency with which the accommodation of extra time on exams is granted to and is used by undergraduates with LD. Potential limitations due to size and representativeness of the sample are addressed.

As Provided

62

2014

EJ1029630