Comments on: Stereotype Lift – The Obama Effect

By: Black Homeschoolers Magazine – Community » Why We Still Celebrate Black History Month

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:28:35 +0000

[...] Sees an Obama Effect as Lifting Black Test-Takers,” in yesterday’s New York Times. … http://thesituationist.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/stereotype-lift-the-obama-effect… Study Sees an Obama Effect as Lifting Black Test-Takers – Topix Study Sees an Obama Effect as [...]

By: Mya

Mya — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:24:09 +0000

Although you are correct in your statement that race is a social construct, it doesn’t mean that the test taking abilities of individuals belonging to a constructed category are something to not care about. Race is a social construct that was created many years ago and because of this there have been cognitive changes and hence biological changes within individuals. Further, stereotype threat is a very real problem created by a socially constructed label. Until race as a social construct is eliminated, something that will not happen in the near future, it is important to find ways to help those who are affected by it in a negative way. I suggest you research stereotype threat to see how much of a problem it really is for minority groups, as well as theories on biological reasons that prejudice and stereotyping still exist. Until social constructs are eliminated, problems from them will occur and at least some researchers are trying to find ways of helping diminish them.

By: Stereotype Threat, Obama Effect, and Social Memory « Memory, Learning, Culture, Networks, Spaces, Ecology, Expertises

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:22:53 +0000

[...] the stereotype threat, in comes research on a phenomena called the Obama Effect, described here by the Situationist, reported first via the NY Times: [R]esearchers have documented what they call an Obama effect, [...]

By: CJ

CJ — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:25:13 +0000

Since race is a social construct not based in biology a study like this is a moot point flawed from the start. How are these researchers able to define something which has no biological borders and based on a flawed social categorization? Since there is no race, how can you test it? And why should anyone care about the test taking ability of individuals belonging to a categorization that doesn’t exist? The researchers are just creating more divisiveness.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:36:00 +0000

Failure to reject the null hypothesis doesn’t prove it, especially in a study with a small sample size. Also, it’s my understanding that releasing the results of a study prior to peer review is generally regarded as a red flag. The real test is whether the CHANGE in the gap is statistically significant. They could have reported the same results if they only tested one black guy and he happened to score above average.

Notice that this study (or even an abstract) doesn’t seem to be web accessible.

Also:

1. Note that they give the scores pre-Obama, but not post-Obama. So there was still a gap, but perhaps only at a 90% significance level rather than a 95% level.
2. Sample size of students is tiny, as you noted.
3. The number of questions is very small.
4. Self-selection effects (it’s an internet study, not a representative sample).
5. Different times of year may catch students in or out of school, different people who may have heard about the study (including from the experimenters, who may have sent flyers or emails to different places), etc.

By: Points of Interest, vol2, #2 « Mind, Soul, and Body

Points of Interest, vol2, #2 « Mind, Soul, and Body — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 05:42:36 +0000

[...] The Situationist reports on a provokative study that found listening to President Obama’s inauguration speech substantially improved the test scores of black students, showing the power of self image, expectations, and internalized [...]