Do Mass Mediated Stereotypes Harm Members of Negatively Stereotyped Groups? A Meta-Analytical Review on Media-Generated Stereotype Threat and Stereotype Lift

Stereotype threat theory suggests that negative stereotypes and devaluing content in the media impair the cognitive and educational achievement of members of the negatively portrayed groups (e.g., Latino Americans, women), whereas nonstereotyped recipients are not affected or even show reversed effects (stereotype lift). A meta-analysis of 33 experiments ( n = 1,831) yielded an overall mean effect size of d = −0.38 (random effects model) in support of the stereotype threat assumption. The results further involve a check on publication bias and moderator analyses with respect to the portrayed group, the dependent variable (academic identification vs. performance), the media format (ads vs. news vs. entertainment), and the world region in which the study was conducted. A second meta-analysis on the stereotype lift hypothesis yielded an overall mean effect size of d = 0.17 ( k = 12, n = 589, nonsignificant, random effects model). Our meta-analytical findings are in support of stereotype threat theory, indicating that negative stereotypes and devaluing content in the media impair members of negatively stereotyped groups, whereas nonmembers are not affected. Implications and open research questions are outlined.