Stereotype Threat: How Racial Stereotyping In Athletics Affects Student Athlete Performance and Self Identity

Abstract

The history of stereotypes within sports is known and documented. The theory of stereotype threat has provided meaningful data on how performance can be influenced differently based on the stereotypes that are involved in performing a task. However, in the modern era, stereotypes are often overlooked, and they hold implications on the lives of athletes and how they perform. Providing a background on racial landscapes in college and professional athletics, as well as exploring the specifics of stereotype threat for individual college athletes will provide comprehensive insights about how the sports world has truly changed the lives of athletes. Studying how stereotypes impact student athletes' experience of pressure, self identity, and performance.