Analysis of 'Identity Threat' Some Students Face

A new report from the Century Foundation considers the issue of "identity threat" and the way many low-income and minority students with academic talent may feel unwelcome or stereotyped in college. The report suggests that students face bias from some professors based on stereotypes and that this creates "stereotype threat" in which students may come to doubt their own abilities. Students pay attention to many cues on whether the environment is welcoming, and whether people on campus have confidence in their abilities, the report says.