C. performance decrements caused by the knowledge of cultural stereotypes.
Stereotype threat refers to the phenomenon whereby an individual's performance on a task is negatively impacted by their knowledge of cultural stereotypes that apply to their social group. For example, if a person is aware of the stereotype that women are not as good at math as men, they may experience a performance decrement when taking a math test due to the anxiety and stress caused by this stereotype. Stereotype threat can affect individuals from any social group that is the target of negative stereotypes, and it has been found to have a negative impact on performance in a variety of contexts, including academic, athletic, and professional settings.