151: Stereotype Threat w/ Dr. Josh Aronson

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. “What we call ‘intelligence’ is a performance. The measure of it is a fragile business.”  Dr. Josh Aronson, a pioneer in the field of stereotype threat, is here today for a fascinating and meaningful conversation. We talk through the origins of stereotype threat, why Josh prefers to call it “identity threat” instead, and ways to combat identity threat in test-taking. We also spend a good bit of time on Josh’s current work, which revolves around teaching and implementing mindfulness and meditation in schools in order to improve academic performance. This episode is a wonderful mix of research and practice that will definitely have you thinking differently about the way we approach testing! Cool Things Mentioned in this Episode www.reducingstereotypethreat.comStereotype Threat: Theory, Process, and Application book (affiliate link)Steele & Aronson’s original article on stereotype threatHandbook of Competence and Motivation.pdfFirst Growth Mindset StudyGood Aronson Inzlicht Second Growth Mindset Study everThe Obama EffectAronson, Lustina, Good, Keough, Steele, & Brown (1999)Aronson & Juarez. Malleable Minds.-01 Featured Resource I am honored to partner with PAR for the next few months to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com.   The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s! I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! About Dr. Joshua Aronson Joshua Aronson is a professor of developmental, social, and educational psychology at New York University, where he directs the Mindful Education Lab, a group of psychologists and neuroscientists dedicated to using research to improve the psychological functioning and learning of children confronted with stress. Internationally known for his pioneering research on “stereotype threat” and “Growth Mindset,” Joshua’s work has been featured in popular books like Blink, Nurtureshock, Mindset, Drive, Nerve, Choke, Grit — and books with long titles like Lean in, How Children Succeed, Intelligence and How to Get It, and Whistling Vivaldi, and has been referenced in 4 Supreme Court cases. Listed by Education Week as one of the most influential education scholars in America, Joshua is the editor of Improving Academic Achievement (Academic Press) and Readings about the Social Animal, and is Co-author of best selling text, The Social Animal (Worth) with his father Elliot.  His current work helps schools become environments that promote excellence in cognitive, socio-emotional, and moral development, by incorporating social psychological interventions including mindfulness and meditation into classrooms, and by developing “4-dimensional curriculum” to improve learning, curiosity, critical thinking self-control, and purpose. Joshua is executive advisor to the Casa Laxmi Foundation, which is building a school designed to develop leadership and academic success in the world’s most impoverished children and is the founder of New York University’s School to Prosperity Pipeline, which serves children aged 4 to 22, with scientifically based interventions to educate and elevate NYC children at risk for incarceration.  About Dr. Jeremy Sharp Jeremy Sharp, PhD is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that he founded in 2009 and has grown to include five other clinicians. He earned his undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting his Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, Jeremy specializes in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, Dr. Sharp provides private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. Jeremy lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with his wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call! Schedule Your Call