{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/139838"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/139838","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Cracking the Stereotype Threat Equation: Associations with Executive Functions and the Math Performance of Latine College Students","abstract":"Perceived ethnic bias has a negative impact on the academic development of students from racial/ethnic minorities. This can be observed in the detrimental effects that being exposed to negative stereotypes about their ethnic group, has on Latine students' mathematical performance, a phenomenon known as stereotype threat (ST). Much of the ST research to date, highlights the effects of gender stereotypes on students' (particularly women's) performance on academic tasks completed mainly in untimed settings. Moreover, working memory is thought to be the only executive function (EF) mediating ST effects on academic performance. My dissertation project aimed to explore the unique impact that ethnic stereotypes would have on Latine college students' performance on mathematical tasks completed with and without time pressure. Likewise, I aimed to assess how different EFs (namely working memory and inhibitory control), and participants' gender contributed to these associations. 80 Latine college students provided data on ethnic ST awareness via questionnaires, EFs via computerized and verbal tasks, and calculation skills via standardized mathematical tests. Moderated mediation demonstrated that teacher-induced ethnic ST (i.e., students' perception that their mathematics teachers/instructors treated them differently because of their ethnicity) had a negative indirect effect on timed calculation skills via inhibitory control; gender did not moderate this association. In contrast, peer-induced ST and general composite score of ethnic ST did not yield indirect associations with calculation skills. These results aid in understanding the unique effect of ethnic/racial stereotypes on Latine students' mathematics performance.","abstract_html":"Perceived ethnic bias has a negative impact on the academic development of students from racial/ethnic minorities. This can be observed in the detrimental effects that being exposed to negative stereotypes about their ethnic group, has on Latine students' mathematical performance, a phenomenon known as stereotype threat (ST). Much of the ST research to date, highlights the effects of gender stereotypes on students' (particularly women's) performance on academic tasks completed mainly in untimed settings. Moreover, working memory is thought to be the only executive function (EF) mediating ST effects on academic performance. My dissertation project aimed to explore the unique impact that ethnic stereotypes would have on Latine college students' performance on mathematical tasks completed with and without time pressure. Likewise, I aimed to assess how different EFs (namely working memory and inhibitory control), and participants' gender contributed to these associations. 80 Latine college students provided data on ethnic ST awareness via questionnaires, EFs via computerized and verbal tasks, and calculation skills via standardized mathematical tests. Moderated mediation demonstrated that teacher-induced ethnic ST (i.e., students' perception that their mathematics teachers/instructors treated them differently because of their ethnicity) had a negative indirect effect on timed calculation skills via inhibitory control; gender did not moderate this association. In contrast, peer-induced ST and general composite score of ethnic ST did not yield indirect associations with calculation skills. These results aid in understanding the unique effect of ethnic/racial stereotypes on Latine students' mathematics performance.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Diaz Benitez, Vanessa Paola"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":"Psychology","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Bell, Martha Ann"],"committee_members":["Gülseven, Zehra","Norton, Anderson Hassell","Hornburg, Caroline Byrd"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-12-04","date_published":"2025-12-04","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:19Z","subjects":["stereotype threat","executive functions","mathematics performance","Latine","college"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44952"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:44952","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/139838","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Bell, Martha Ann"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Gülseven, Zehra","Norton, Anderson Hassell","Hornburg, Caroline Byrd"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Diaz Benitez, Vanessa Paola"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-12-05T09:00:11Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-12-05T09:00:11Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-12-04"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["stereotype threat","executive functions","mathematics performance","Latine","college"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44952"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/139838"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Perceived ethnic bias has a negative impact on the academic development of students from racial/ethnic minorities. This can be observed in the detrimental effects that being exposed to negative stereotypes about their ethnic group, has on Latine students' mathematical performance, a phenomenon known as stereotype threat (ST). Much of the ST research to date, highlights the effects of gender stereotypes on students' (particularly women's) performance on academic tasks completed mainly in untimed settings. Moreover, working memory is thought to be the only executive function (EF) mediating ST effects on academic performance. My dissertation project aimed to explore the unique impact that ethnic stereotypes would have on Latine college students' performance on mathematical tasks completed with and without time pressure. Likewise, I aimed to assess how different EFs (namely working memory and inhibitory control), and participants' gender contributed to these associations. 80 Latine college students provided data on ethnic ST awareness via questionnaires, EFs via computerized and verbal tasks, and calculation skills via standardized mathematical tests. Moderated mediation demonstrated that teacher-induced ethnic ST (i.e., students' perception that their mathematics teachers/instructors treated them differently because of their ethnicity) had a negative indirect effect on timed calculation skills via inhibitory control; gender did not moderate this association. In contrast, peer-induced ST and general composite score of ethnic ST did not yield indirect associations with calculation skills. These results aid in understanding the unique effect of ethnic/racial stereotypes on Latine students' mathematics performance."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Stereotype threat (ST), a phenomenon that occurs when the activation of a negative stereotype about themselves leads individuals to experience performance decrements in a task where the stereotype is relevant, has a detrimental impact on cognitive and academic development. ST is particularly prevalent among Latine students, and it is more disruptive during adolescence and early adulthood, since these developmental periods are critical for identity formation and the impact of a stereotype about individuals' social identity is more noticeable. The present dissertation study aimed to examine the indirect effect that ethnicity-related stereotypes had on basic calculation skills among a sample of 80 Latine college students. Moreover, this study assessed whether students' EFs, specifically working memory and inhibition skills, where two of the cognitive mechanisms explaining how ethnic ST impaired math performance in college. ST was assessed using questionnaires, EFs were measured using computerized tasks and calculation was assessed using a standardized test of academic achievement. Results revealed that ethnic ST had a negative impact on participants' inhibition skills and through this effect, hindered their ability to complete basic math calculations under time pressure; however ethnic ST only had an association with calculation when the negative ST about students' ethnicity was activated by their mathematics teachers/instructors. This study has multiple implications for math education. First, the findings highlight the role that quality interactions with teachers play on students' development across development. Likewise, the findings speak to the importance of promoting learning environments that are free of bias and discrimination, to enhance mathematical learning. Finally, results from this study suggest that timed assessments may exacerbate the effects that negative social cues may have on math achievement, limiting opportunities for achievement."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Cracking the Stereotype Threat Equation: Associations with Executive Functions and the Math Performance of Latine College Students"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Bell, Martha Ann"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Gülseven, Zehra","Norton, Anderson Hassell","Hornburg, Caroline Byrd"],"dc:contributor.department":["Psychology"],"dc:creator":["Diaz Benitez, Vanessa Paola"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-12-05T09:00:11Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-12-05T09:00:11Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-12-04"],"dc:description.abstract":["Perceived ethnic bias has a negative impact on the academic development of students from racial/ethnic minorities. This can be observed in the detrimental effects that being exposed to negative stereotypes about their ethnic group, has on Latine students' mathematical performance, a phenomenon known as stereotype threat (ST). Much of the ST research to date, highlights the effects of gender stereotypes on students' (particularly women's) performance on academic tasks completed mainly in untimed settings. Moreover, working memory is thought to be the only executive function (EF) mediating ST effects on academic performance. My dissertation project aimed to explore the unique impact that ethnic stereotypes would have on Latine college students' performance on mathematical tasks completed with and without time pressure. Likewise, I aimed to assess how different EFs (namely working memory and inhibitory control), and participants' gender contributed to these associations. 80 Latine college students provided data on ethnic ST awareness via questionnaires, EFs via computerized and verbal tasks, and calculation skills via standardized mathematical tests. Moderated mediation demonstrated that teacher-induced ethnic ST (i.e., students' perception that their mathematics teachers/instructors treated them differently because of their ethnicity) had a negative indirect effect on timed calculation skills via inhibitory control; gender did not moderate this association. In contrast, peer-induced ST and general composite score of ethnic ST did not yield indirect associations with calculation skills. These results aid in understanding the unique effect of ethnic/racial stereotypes on Latine students' mathematics performance."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Stereotype threat (ST), a phenomenon that occurs when the activation of a negative stereotype about themselves leads individuals to experience performance decrements in a task where the stereotype is relevant, has a detrimental impact on cognitive and academic development. ST is particularly prevalent among Latine students, and it is more disruptive during adolescence and early adulthood, since these developmental periods are critical for identity formation and the impact of a stereotype about individuals' social identity is more noticeable. The present dissertation study aimed to examine the indirect effect that ethnicity-related stereotypes had on basic calculation skills among a sample of 80 Latine college students. Moreover, this study assessed whether students' EFs, specifically working memory and inhibition skills, where two of the cognitive mechanisms explaining how ethnic ST impaired math performance in college. ST was assessed using questionnaires, EFs were measured using computerized tasks and calculation was assessed using a standardized test of academic achievement. Results revealed that ethnic ST had a negative impact on participants' inhibition skills and through this effect, hindered their ability to complete basic math calculations under time pressure; however ethnic ST only had an association with calculation when the negative ST about students' ethnicity was activated by their mathematics teachers/instructors. This study has multiple implications for math education. First, the findings highlight the role that quality interactions with teachers play on students' development across development. Likewise, the findings speak to the importance of promoting learning environments that are free of bias and discrimination, to enhance mathematical learning. Finally, results from this study suggest that timed assessments may exacerbate the effects that negative social cues may have on math achievement, limiting opportunities for achievement."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:44952"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/139838"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["stereotype threat","executive functions","mathematics performance","Latine","college"],"dc:title":["Cracking the Stereotype Threat Equation: Associations with Executive Functions and the Math Performance of Latine College Students"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:19Z"}