Overcoming stereotypes that hinder academic performance through psychological priming

School Name

Chapin High School

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Psychology and Sociology

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Oral Presentation Award

3rd Place

Written Paper Award

1st Place

Abstract

This study is focused on the effects psychological priming has on low to average performing high school sophomores and juniors, in regards to their SAT scores. The brain is constantly receiving stimuli and utilizes memories to correctly respond to the situation at hand. Thus, the environment and the information it yields directly or indirectly affects a person’s mindset at a subconscious level. This is known as psychological priming. Prior studies have found that the subconscious can often control not only one's mood, but also one’s actions and thoughts. This study builds upon a foundation of research focused on both student-impacting stereotypes (Steele) and studies that focused on motivation (Dweck). The data concluded that there is a significant correlation between presenting students with a fact-based article that iterates the power of the human brain and higher scores on mock passages from the SAT. This project is specifically focused on student population with a high composition of minority. When the psychological priming was applied to students where race-based stereotypes were activated, they performed better than the control group where the negative stereotypes were not activated. This was proven by a p-value of .07.

Location

Wall 305

Start Date

3-25-2017 9:15 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 25th, 9:15 AM

Overcoming stereotypes that hinder academic performance through psychological priming

Wall 305

This study is focused on the effects psychological priming has on low to average performing high school sophomores and juniors, in regards to their SAT scores. The brain is constantly receiving stimuli and utilizes memories to correctly respond to the situation at hand. Thus, the environment and the information it yields directly or indirectly affects a person’s mindset at a subconscious level. This is known as psychological priming. Prior studies have found that the subconscious can often control not only one's mood, but also one’s actions and thoughts. This study builds upon a foundation of research focused on both student-impacting stereotypes (Steele) and studies that focused on motivation (Dweck). The data concluded that there is a significant correlation between presenting students with a fact-based article that iterates the power of the human brain and higher scores on mock passages from the SAT. This project is specifically focused on student population with a high composition of minority. When the psychological priming was applied to students where race-based stereotypes were activated, they performed better than the control group where the negative stereotypes were not activated. This was proven by a p-value of .07.