Racial Identity, Local Majority Status, and Stereotype Threat: Risk-Taking Behavior Among Black Students at an HBCU

Abstract Stereotype threat has been shown to impact performance and decision-making for members of stereotyped groups, but the effects in settings where the stereotyped group represents a local majority remain unclear. The current study explored how stereotype threat influenced risk-taking behavior among Black students at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), where they represent a local majority. A total of N = 60 Black participants successfully completed a risk-taking task under two conditions: one where the task was said to be diagnostic of their abilities (stereotype threat) and one where the task was said to be non-diagnostic. The race of the experimenter and the institution conducting the study (HBCU vs. predominately-White institution) were also varied. Results showed no significant overall effects of stereotype threat on risk-taking behavior. However, interactions with racial identity, as measured by the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS), showed that students with low assimilation scores exhibited risk aversion under stereotype threat, while those with high assimilation scores did not. The findings suggest that a local majority status may buffer against stereotype threat, and that individual differences in racial identity influence susceptibility to its effects. Results underscore the importance of contextual and personal factors in shaping the experience of stereotype threat.