Peers and Performance: How In-Group and Out-Group Comparisons Moderate Stereotype Threat Effects Ronald A. Elizaga & Keith D. Markman Published online: 31 October 2008 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008 Abstract The present study examined how exposure to the performance of in-group and out-group members can both exacerbate and minimize the negative effects of stereotype threat. Female participants learned that they would be taking a math test that was either diagnostic or nondiagnostic of their math ability. Prior to taking the test, participants interacted with either an in-group peer (a female college student) or an out-group peer (a male college student) who had just taken the test, and learned that the student had either performed well or poorly on the test. Exposure to either an in-group or an out-group peer whose performance was consistent with the negative stereotype (a poor-performing female or a strong-performing male) exacerbated stereotype threat effects. In contrast, exposure to an in-group or an out-group peer whose performance challenged the negative stereotype (a strong-performing female or a poor-performing male) eliminated stereotype threat effects. These findings demonstrate that people can look to both in-group and out-group peers as sources of inspiration in the context of a negative stereotype. Keywords Stereotype threat . In-group . Out-group . Social comparison . Performance Sophistication in science and math has become increasingly important in our present age of technological advancement and complexity. In the continuing struggle for perceived equality among the sexes, however, women appear to be lagging behind in this domain. Throughout the past thirty years, high-school aged females have consistently achieved lower average math proficiency scores than their male counterparts (NCES 2000). Furthermore, by the twelfth grade, females as compared to males are less likely to enjoy math and to believe that they are good at math. The observed divergence in math performance between males and females has fueled the development of the stereotype that women are inferior to men in Curr Psychol (2008) 27:290–300 DOI 10.1007/s12144-008-9041-y R. A. Elizaga : K. D. Markman (*) Department of Psychology, Ohio University, 200 Porter Hall, Athens, OH 45701, USA e-mail: markman@ohio.edu