Status,testosterone, and human intellectual performance: stereotype threat as status concern

Results from two experiments suggest that stereotype-threat effects are special cases of a more general process involving the need to maintain or enhance status. We hypothesized thatsituations capable of confirming a performance stereotype might representeither a threat to status or an opportunity for enhancement of status,depending on the nature of the stereotype. The positive relationship betweenbaseline testosterone and status sensitivity led us to hypothesize that hightestosterone levels in males and females would amplify existing performanceexpectations when gender-based math-performance stereotypes were activated.In Study 1, high-testosterone females performed poorly on a math test when anegative performance stereotype was primed. In Study 2, high-testosteronemales excelled on a math test when a positive performance stereotype wasprimed. The moderating effect of testosterone on performance suggests that astereotype-relevant situation is capable of conferring either a loss or again of status on targets of the stereotype.