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Effects of Stereotype Threat, Perceived Discrimination, and Examiner Race on Neuropsychological Performance: Simple as Black and White?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 February 2013

April D. Thames*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Charles H. Hinkin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California Department of Psychology, Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
Desiree A. Byrd
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
Robert M. Bilder
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Kimberley J. Duff
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Cerritos College, Norwalk, California
Monica Rivera Mindt
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York Department of Psychology, Fordham University, New York, New York
Alyssa Arentoft
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California Department of Psychology, Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
Vanessa Streiff
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: April D. Thames, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, 740 Westwood Plaza C8-746, Los Angeles, CA 90095. E-mail: athames@mednet.ucla.edu

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine the predictive roles of stereotype threat and perceived discrimination and the mediating role of examiner-examinee racial discordance on neuropsychological performance in a non-clinical sample of African American and Caucasian individuals. Ninety-two African American (n = 45) and Caucasian (n = 47) adults were randomly assigned to either a stereotype threat or non-threat condition. Within each condition, participants were randomly assigned to either a same race or different race examiner. All participants underwent neuropsychological testing and completed a measure of perceived discrimination. African Americans in the stereotype threat condition performed significantly worse on global NP (Mz = −.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−0.07, −0.67] than African Americans in the non-threat condition (Mz = 0.09, CI [0.15, 0.33]. African Americans who reported high levels of perceived discrimination performed significantly worse on memory tests when tested by an examiner of a different race, Mz = −1.19, 95% CI [−1.78, −.54], than African Americans who were tested by an examiner of the same race, Mz = 0.24, 95% CI [−0.24, 0.72]. The current study underscores the importance of considering the role of contextual variables in neuropsychological performance, as these variables may obscure the validity of results among certain racial/ethnic groups. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–10)

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2013

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