Perceptions and stereotypes in social psychology

Stereotype Threat

The different social groups that I feel I belong to are female and 20s age group. Although I have many ethnicities, the ones that I indentify the most with are Mexican-American/Yaqui Indian and Caucasian. I belong in the group who has a degree and is pursuing an even higher degree. Some stereotypes that I have heard about for the discussed groups are that if you are a mature (i.e. older) white male, you are assumed as more intelligent, than say, a young Mexican woman. People like to assume that if you have a college degree it must mean you are smarter than the average person is, but I know plenty of people who never went to college and have a higher IQ than mine, and I also know many people who have a degree and skated through school. I think people may perceive those with high skills in athleticism as less intelligent, but those with military experience as more intelligent. African-Americans and women are assumes to be less intelligent than white males. Woman are also considered to be less adept at physical science, engineering and math.

Some stereotypes that apply to me that I have heard about people in the 20s age group is that they lack maturity and knowledge about real-world issues that affect "real adults." Although past stereotypes of women used to be very negative, lately women have worked very hard to change that, and now make up more than half of all college graduates. Some men may still feel that women are less intelligent that men, the "weaker sex," but this pervasive idea is shrinking. Oddly enough, I belong to two groups that oppose each other in stereotypes. Mexican-Americans and Native Americans are usually associated with being "dumb, lazy and poor," and college graduates are associated with being intelligent. Yet I am the first person and first woman to graduate with a degree on my dad's side of the family, and the third person and third woman to graduate with a degree on my mom's side of the family. When I receive my Master's degree, I will be the first person on both sides of my family to have such a degree.

The two stereotypes that I struggle with the most personally is that I'm a young minority. I have had some professors say to me that I should use my Native American status to my advantage, but I've always thought that was dishonest. I want to seem like a person who doesn't act my age, because to many people I still look like I'm in high school, so it's very important to appear mature and grounded. As for my minority status, it only really matters on paper because I am very mixed race and it is hard to "tell" what I am without asking me. As far as if this is the "real me," I believe it is. I have always been more mature than my age, which I believe it my nature and not anything I've perceived as a stereotype that I need to overcome.