allen r. mcconnell research


	Overview \| People \| Support & Awards \| Photos Stereotyping, group stigma, and stereotype threat Recently, we have explored how stereotype threat (i.e., being a member of a social group for which a negative stereotype exists) impacts one's own behavior, leading to suboptimal performance. This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, with an emphasis on examining how stereotype threat has its detrimental impact in both cognitive and sensorimotor domains (Beilock & McConnell, 2004). For example, stereotype threat (e.g., African-Americans playing golf) can produce poorer performance when one's stereotypes alters attentional deployment in the on-line execution of proceduralized skills (Beilock, Jellison, Rydell, McConnell, & Carr, 2006). In other research, we have explored the processes involved in stereotype threat in more cognitively demanding domains. For instance, we (Beilock, Rydell, & McConnell, 2007) have shown what aspects of working memory are impacted by stereotype threat in complex cognitive tasks (e.g., women performing math who are aware of the cultural stereotype that "women aren't good at math"). In addition to identifying the mechanisms responsible, our work has shown that stereotype threat can spillover onto other tasks completely unrelated to the stereotype but dependent on the same cognitive resources consumed by the threatening situation. Moreover, we have identified ways that people can combat stereotype threat. For example, in our recent research (Rydell, McConnell, & Beilock, 2009), we have shown that simply highlighting a second identity to individuals in addition to the stereotype-threat-related identity (e.g., reminding people they are women and are college students before performing a math test) can eliminate stereotype threat decrements. Also, we have studied how minority group members respond to stigmatization differently. For example, we (Evans & McConnell, 2003) found that although Black women utilize self-protective strategies when exposed to mainstream standards of beauty (e.g., ingroup comparisons rather than comparing to White supermodels), Asian women do not show this self-protective pattern, and they report greater dissatisfaction with their own bodies than do Black women (and even White female controls). In other research, we explored how gay men deal with internalized feelings of negativity about homosexuality (Jellison & McConnell, 2003). Gay men often develop negative attitudes about homosexuality long before they know their membership in that group, and these internalized feelings of homophobia (coupled with societal attitudes and discrimination) strongly affect their success in experiencing positive relationships and seeking beneficial social support. In particular, we found that gay men with more secure attachment styles fare better in the coming out process than do gay men with less secure attachment styles. In other work (Jellison, McConnell, & Gabriel, 2004), we have found that gay men with more positive attitudes toward homosexuality (assessed by implicit and explicit measures) disclose their sexuality to more people and have greater involvement in the gay community. Finally, we have focused on how implicit prejudice (i.e., nonconscious feelings of negativity toward social groups) affects behavior toward members of stigmatized groups. For example, our work has shown that implicit prejudice predicts negative behavior in interracial interactions (McConnell & Leibold, 2001, 2009), and that people's negative implicit attitudes toward members of social groups are much more sensitive to group stigma cues such as race, obesity, and physical attractiveness than are their explicit attitudes toward them (McConnell, Rydell, Strain, & Mackie, 2008). Relevant publications McConnell, A. R., & Leibold, J. M. (2009). Weak criticisms and selective evidence: Reply to Blanton et al. (2009). Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 583-589. Rydell, R. J., McConnell, A. R., & Beilock, S. L. (2009). Multiple social identities and stereotype threat: Imbalance, accessibility, and working memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 949-966. McConnell, A. R., Rydell, R. J., Strain, L. M., & Mackie, D. M. (2008). Forming implicit and explicit attitudes toward individuals: Social group association cues. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 792-807. Beilock, S. L., Rydell, R. J., & McConnell, A. R. (2007). Stereotype threat and working memory: Mechanisms, alleviation, and spillover. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 136, 256-276. Beilock, S. L., Jellison, W. A., Rydell, R. J., McConnell, A. R., & Carr, T. H. (2006). On the causal mechanisms of stereotype threat: Can skills that don't rely heavily on working memory still be threatened? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1059-1071. Beilock, S. L., & McConnell, A. R. (2004). Stereotype threat and sport: Can athletic performance be threatened? Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 26, 597-609. Jellison, W. A., McConnell, A. R., & Gabriel, S. (2004). Implicit and explicit measures of sexual orientation attitudes: Ingroup preferences and related behaviors and beliefs among gay and straight men. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 629-642. Evans, P. C., & McConnell, A. R. (2003). Do racial minorities respond in the same way to mainstream beauty standards? Social comparison processes in Asian, Black, and White women. Self and Identity, 2, 153-167. Jellison, W. A., & McConnell, A. R. (2003). The mediating effects of attitudes toward homosexuality between secure attachment and disclosure outcomes among gay men. Journal of Homosexuality, 46, 159-177. McConnell, A. R., & Leibold, J. M. (2001). Relations among the Implicit Association Test, discriminatory behavior, and explicit measures of racial attitudes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 435-442.

Overview | People | Support & Awards | Photos

Stereotyping, group stigma, and stereotype threat

Recently, we have explored how stereotype threat (i.e., being a member of a social group for which a negative stereotype exists) impacts one's own behavior, leading to suboptimal performance. This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, with an emphasis on examining how stereotype threat has its detrimental impact in both cognitive and sensorimotor domains (Beilock & McConnell, 2004). For example, stereotype threat (e.g., African-Americans playing golf) can produce poorer performance when one's stereotypes alters attentional deployment in the on-line execution of proceduralized skills (Beilock, Jellison, Rydell, McConnell, & Carr, 2006). In other research, we have explored the processes involved in stereotype threat in more cognitively demanding domains. For instance, we (Beilock, Rydell, & McConnell, 2007) have shown what aspects of working memory are impacted by stereotype threat in complex cognitive tasks (e.g., women performing math who are aware of the cultural stereotype that "women aren't good at math"). In addition to identifying the mechanisms responsible, our work has shown that stereotype threat can spillover onto other tasks completely unrelated to the stereotype but dependent on the same cognitive resources consumed by the threatening situation. Moreover, we have identified ways that people can combat stereotype threat. For example, in our recent research (Rydell, McConnell, & Beilock, 2009), we have shown that simply highlighting a second identity to individuals in addition to the stereotype-threat-related identity (e.g., reminding people they are women and are college students before performing a math test) can eliminate stereotype threat decrements.

Also, we have studied how minority group members respond to stigmatization differently. For example, we (Evans & McConnell, 2003) found that although Black women utilize self-protective strategies when exposed to mainstream standards of beauty (e.g., ingroup comparisons rather than comparing to White supermodels), Asian women do not show this self-protective pattern, and they report greater dissatisfaction with their own bodies than do Black women (and even White female controls). In other research, we explored how gay men deal with internalized feelings of negativity about homosexuality (Jellison & McConnell, 2003). Gay men often develop negative attitudes about homosexuality long before they know their membership in that group, and these internalized feelings of homophobia (coupled with societal attitudes and discrimination) strongly affect their success in experiencing positive relationships and seeking beneficial social support. In particular, we found that gay men with more secure attachment styles fare better in the coming out process than do gay men with less secure attachment styles. In other work (Jellison, McConnell, & Gabriel, 2004), we have found that gay men with more positive attitudes toward homosexuality (assessed by implicit and explicit measures) disclose their sexuality to more people and have greater involvement in the gay community.

Finally, we have focused on how implicit prejudice (i.e., nonconscious feelings of negativity toward social groups) affects behavior toward members of stigmatized groups. For example, our work has shown that implicit prejudice predicts negative behavior in interracial interactions (McConnell & Leibold, 2001, 2009), and that people's negative implicit attitudes toward members of social groups are much more sensitive to group stigma cues such as race, obesity, and physical attractiveness than are their explicit attitudes toward them (McConnell, Rydell, Strain, & Mackie, 2008).

Relevant publications

McConnell, A. R., & Leibold, J. M. (2009). Weak criticisms and selective evidence: Reply to Blanton et al. (2009). Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 583-589.

Rydell, R. J., McConnell, A. R., & Beilock, S. L. (2009). Multiple social identities and stereotype threat: Imbalance, accessibility, and working memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 949-966.

McConnell, A. R., Rydell, R. J., Strain, L. M., & Mackie, D. M. (2008). Forming implicit and explicit attitudes toward individuals: Social group association cues. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 792-807.

Beilock, S. L., Rydell, R. J., & McConnell, A. R. (2007). Stereotype threat and working memory: Mechanisms, alleviation, and spillover. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 136, 256-276.

Beilock, S. L., Jellison, W. A., Rydell, R. J., McConnell, A. R., & Carr, T. H. (2006). On the causal mechanisms of stereotype threat: Can skills that don't rely heavily on working memory still be threatened? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1059-1071.

Beilock, S. L., & McConnell, A. R. (2004). Stereotype threat and sport: Can athletic performance be threatened? Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 26, 597-609.

Jellison, W. A., McConnell, A. R., & Gabriel, S. (2004). Implicit and explicit measures of sexual orientation attitudes: Ingroup preferences and related behaviors and beliefs among gay and straight men. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 629-642.

Evans, P. C., & McConnell, A. R. (2003). Do racial minorities respond in the same way to mainstream beauty standards? Social comparison processes in Asian, Black, and White women. Self and Identity, 2, 153-167.

Jellison, W. A., & McConnell, A. R. (2003). The mediating effects of attitudes toward homosexuality between secure attachment and disclosure outcomes among gay men. Journal of Homosexuality, 46, 159-177.

McConnell, A. R., & Leibold, J. M. (2001). Relations among the Implicit Association Test, discriminatory behavior, and explicit measures of racial attitudes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 435-442.