Higher trait working memory capacity may benefit standardized test performance under race-related stereotype threat

Stereotype threat (ST) occurs when individuals primed with negative stereotypes underperform relative to a control group. Activating ST increases anxiety and worries about being negatively perceived, also introducing mental distraction that negatively impacts performance. We consider racial/ethnic ST effects on standardized test performance (SDTP) on the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Across two experiments, working memory capacity (WMC) is investigated as a mediator and/or moderator of ST for race/ethnicity (Experiment 1, final n = 447, 19% Black, 81% White, 59% female and for Experiment 2, n = 166, 41% Black, 59% White, 73% female). We find a lack of strong evidence for the classic ST effect of a Race × Condition interaction. However, we show evidence that for Black students, higher trait WMC moderates racial/ethnic ST such that higher WMC is associated with higher scores on standardized tests under conditions of race-related ST. Our findings suggest the importance of higher WMC for racial minority students in remaining mentally resilient and maintaining performance during ST. Future work should address diversity and inclusion concerns regarding research on ST effects for racial/ethnic minorities, include more work examining racial/ethnic ST based on replication issues and statistical power, as well as more examination of the importance of WMC for performance under racial/ethnic ST. Future work should also consider the roles of protective factors, such as mindfulness and self-regulation practices in the context of racial/ethnic ST as WMC and SDTP have been shown to generally improve through implementing these practices.