Academic contingencies of self-worth impair positively- and negatively-stereotyped students’ performance in performance-goal settings

The achievement motivation and stereotype threat theories both predict that students who base their self-worth on academics tend to underperform on ability tests. However, the former theory maintains that students in general risk underperformance, whereas the latter maintains that negatively-stereotyped students—but not positively-stereotyped students—risk underperformance. The current research supports the achievement motivation approach. In Study 1, as positively-stereotyped students increased in basing self-worth on academics, the worse their test performance in a performance-goal setting; no relationship existed between basing self-worth on academics and performance in a learning-goal setting. Study 2 replicated this finding among positively- and negatively-stereotyped students. Discussion revisits the assumption that students either base their self-worth on academics and are motivated or they disengage and risk underachievement.