Documenting the The Obama Effect

One of the most profound questions raised by the presidential run of Barack Obama is whether it has had an impact on African Americans overall. The answer – according to researchers from San Diego State, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt Universities– is an unequivocal yes in the key area of test-taking achievement.

Documenting what the researchers call the “Obama Effect,” the study identifies that the performance gap between black and white Americans in a series of online tests was dramatically reduced during key moments of the 2008 presidential campaign when Obama’s accomplishments garnered the most national attention.

“Barack Obama has been widely heralded as a role model for Black-Americans because he inspires hope,” said David Marx, co-author of the study and SDSU professor of psychology.  “This research provides evidence that his election has had a concrete beneficial effect on Black-Americans on at least this one measurable area of academic performance.”

Over a three-month period, researchers from SDSU, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt administered a verbal exam to a total of 472 Black- and White-American participants.  The tests took place at four distinct points over three months during the campaign when Obama’s stereotype-defying accomplishments garnered national attention: two when Obama’s success was less prominent (prior to his acceptance of the nomination and the mid-point between the convention and election day) and two when it garnered the most attention (immediately after his nomination speech and his win of the presidency in November).

Results showed that when Obama’s accomplishments were garnering the most national attention, it had a profound beneficial effect on Black-Americans’ exam performance, such that race-based performance differences were dramatically reduced. This effect occurred even when concerns about racial stereotypes continued to exist.

The nationwide testing sample of 84 black Americans and 388 white Americans – a proportion equivalent to representation in the overall population – matched for age and education level revealed that white participants scored higher than their black peers at the two points in the campaign where Obama’s achievements were least visible. However, during the height of the Obama media frenzy, the performance gap between black and white Americans was effectively eliminated. In addition, researchers pinpointed that black Americans who did not watch Obama’s nomination acceptance speech continued to lag behind their white peers, while those who did view the speech successfully closed the gap.

The fact that the research found performance effects with a random sample of American participants, far removed from any direct contact with Obama, attests to the powerful impact of in-group role models, Marx said.

As part of the study, Marx – along with co-authors Sei Jin Ko of Northwestern University and Ray Friedman of Vanderbilt University–also examined whether Obama’s success reduced negative racial stereotypes. For example, participants were asked whether they were concerned that poor performance on the exam would be attributed to their race. The results indicate that blacks were concerned that they faced negative stereotypes about academic achievement whether Obama was prominent or not, but when Obama was prominent they were able to overcome that concern and perform better on the test.

According to Friedman, other research has shown that such historical stereotypes are an underlying reason for lagging test-taking performance by black Americans.

“Obama as a role model did not have an immediate impact on black Americans’ concerns about such stereotypes,” said Friedman. “However, our findings give us reason to believe that the influence of extraordinarily successful role models like Obama will help to drive improved performance and, over the longer-term, to dispel negative stereotypes about African Americans, bringing us closer to a ‘post-racial’ world.”

To read more about this study in The New York Times, click here.

About San Diego State University
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 81 areas, master's degrees in 74 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU's approximately 34,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.