What did participants in the high-salient condition do in Chatard's study before rating their abilities?

Participants in the high-salient condition completed a questionnaire on stereotypes before rating their abilities. This aspect of the study was designed to activate stereotypes related to gender, which could influence how participants perceived and rated their abilities. By engaging with the questionnaire, participants were prompted to think about societal expectations and stereotypes, particularly about gender differences in abilities. This set the stage for the subsequent task of rating their own skills, allowing researchers to examine how the activation of these stereotypes affected self-evaluation.

The nature of the high-salient condition is key because it aims to highlight the impact of stereotypes on self-assessment, making the results more informative regarding the relationship between social perceptions and individual self-evaluation. Understanding this dynamic helps to illustrate broader concepts in psychology, such as the effects of social norms and identity on individual behavior and self-perception.