Appreciative Advising: Six Phases to Mitigate Stereotype Threat Among Student Athletes

Abstract

Negative stereotypes are pervasive in intercollegiate athletics. The possible threat imposed by stereotypes has the ability to cause anxiety and undermine mental and physical performance. This paper explores how the perceived threat of being stereotyped may undermine athletes’ academic performance, and the potential of the Appreciative Advising theory-to-practice framework to reduce that stereotype threat.