You Shoot Like a Girl: Stereotype Threat and Marksmanship Performance in the U.S. Marine Corps
Year: 2010
Type: preprint
Abstract: Stereotype threat is the concern that an individual may be at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one's own group. That is, the added anxiety and pressure associated with disconfirming a stereotype may ultimately hinder an individual's performance. Female Marines, a USMC minority who confront negative stereotypes specific to performance, may be at risk of underperforming in physically demanding tasks and examinations. Since this self-induced threat may be responsible for leading scholars to conclude that servicewomen are ill equipped to soldier, it is important to demonstrate the affects of stereotype threat with respect to performance in the military. One on-site experiment will reveal to what extent stereotype threat affects the performance of female Marines in terms of marksmanship qualifications on the rifle. If this phenomenon negatively effects female Marines, it is likely that other military minorities may have the same experience. To this end, this paper considers ways to ameliorate stereotype threat to ensure the improved performance for all service members, across all service branches.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Author: Emerald M. Archer
Institution: Woodbury University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Reduced inequalities
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1502802929