Implicit Associations Test - 1011 Words

Grace Dzilenski Society and the Individual March 27, 2011 It was with some trepidation that I awaited my score for the Presidential Implicit Association Test (IAT). Was it possible that I am subconsciously racist? Despite the fact that I genuinely don’t look at Barack Obama any differently because he is black; the nature of this test forces your mind and body to work so quickly in synch that it forces a high level of veracity. Luckily in both of my IAT results my subconscious did not betray me, but it did require a certain amount of concentration at times, which might make a statement in and of itself. My first IAT was the Native American-European test, which I selected merely out of interest and curiosity. When filling out the†¦show more content†¦Again, my results measured little to no automatic preference between the two. I found the results of past test takers to be worth noting, because Obama surpassed Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Lincoln, Jefferson and Presidents in general. He tied with Roosevelt and los t to Clinton and Kennedy, which I think has many implications. First the data could be illustrating that most people are not racist considering he beat out the majority of the other options, including Jefferson and Lincoln who are particularly celebrated in American History. Second, this test begs the question, are they looking to see if people are racist (since he is the only African American option) or is this measuring job performance? The triggers they used were photographs and adjectives. Both Obama and Reagan’s photos were professional headshots with equal number of happy and serious expressions. The words consisted of wonderful, glorious, awful, horrible etc. Neither trigger related to racial stereotypes, and could easily be used to assess performance. Perhaps if they used triggers associated with racial stereotypes that would then yield results that measure racism more accurately. Lastly, whether someone is a Democrat or Republican will also have an effect on this test. Obama beat all the Republican presidents and fell short when compared to JFK and Clinton (two revered Democrats.) It can also be assumed that most people taking this test are somehow related to world of Academia,Show MoreRelatedRacism: The Implicit Associations Test Essay1032 Words   |  5 Pagesof the ideas behind the Implicit Associations Test. The creation of the implicit associations test was to find out if there is a way to determine if it is possible to actually know the inner feelings that someone has, but that they may not be able or willing to report. It may also be a way for someone to determine if their explicit attitudes line up with their implicit attitudes and be able to know themselves a little better than they did before. Before taking the tests, I decided which four thatRead MoreCultural Pluralism Course At The Harvard Implicit Association Test ( Iat )828 Words   |  4 PagesThe first assignment in our Cultural Pluralism course was to take part in several individual studies as part of the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT). Each of the studies measures a person’s attitudes and beliefs that they may not be willing or unable to express and to write about our experience. For some individuals, taking these types of tests would be possibly a little unsettling. As for myself, I was very sure that I h ad a strong understanding of who I am and what I believe, so I thoughtRead MoreA Comparison of Implicit and Explicit Weight Bias Essay1315 Words   |  6 PagesA Comparison of Implicit and Explicit Measures of Weight Bias Renee Szostak Abstract In the present study, the results of the fat-thin Implicit Association Test (IAT) were compared with the results of explicit surveys in ten Indiana University undergraduates. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant correlation between subjects results on the IAT and their responses in the explicit survey. Our survey was designed to measure the same bias that the IAT was measuringRead MoreEducation Plan For Grade Implicit Attitudes And Bias1514 Words   |  7 PagesEducation Plan to Grade Implicit Attitudes and Bias What applications can be used to identify and address the hidden impulses of racial bias? Implicit attitudes develop early within every culture, where race is categorized by age 5 (Hirschfeld, 1996, 2001). While reviewing the developmental process of implicit attitudes in youth when introduced to social groups, it helps researchers understand their significance on an individual’s emotional decision making skills. The level of implicit and explicit attitudeRead MoreThe Effects Of Implicit Bias On Society1885 Words   |  8 Pagesseen as unacceptable, implicit associations still permeate our society. These associations lead to implicit bias. Implicit bias is readily becoming the most pervasive form of bias in our society. It contributes to both micro and macro-level inequalities, and raising awareness of implicit bias is crucial in order to suppress its effects on society. This paper will start with a discussion of what implicit bias is. This will be followed by a discussion of the effects of implicit bias. It will concludeRead MoreRacism And Racism Essay1620 Words   |  7 Pagesmake the difference between whether a job can be secured, or a decent wage or not. It begins with stereotyping. The different methods of how stereotypes can be measured will be investigated, as well as a critical discussion of the applicability of implicit and explicit measures. Firstly, ‘stereotype must be defined. It is one s mental representation or impression of a social group that people form by associating particular characteristics and emotions with the group. (Eagly Mladinic, 1989) suggestedRead MoreImplicit And Explicit Behavior : An Evaluation And Procedures For Future Studies1593 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract The research is based on ‘Implicit Social In-Group Bias.’ This research regards the work of Greenwald, A. G., McGhee, D. E., Schwartz, J. K. L. It was predicted that, there’d be a faster reaction time in the young and positive condition then the young and negative condition. 248 participants were used. The administration of IAT (Implicit Association Test) helped assess the distinction of the individual’s characteristics, associating ‘Young’ and ‘Positive’ to measure the cognitive processRead MoreHidden Biases Of Good People972 Words   |  4 Pagestheir beliefs. In their book Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good people, psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald explore the ideas of unconscious identity, the judgment and treatment of others based on stereotypes and the phenomenon of association, and our inability to simply stop being biased as opposed to outsmarting it. Children are taught that lying is bad, that telling the truth no matter the consequences will always outweigh the instant benefit of telling a lie. So we grow up knowingRead MoreDiscovering The World Around Us Begins The Moment We Are1575 Words   |  7 Pagesviews our culture holds about minorities. After taking the Implicit Attitude Test (IAT), I realized that my implicit attitude does not match the explicit attitude I have attained. The IAT, created by Harvard University, measures your implicit attitude toward different groups. You are able to choose different categories, and must choose one that you have no negative bias towards. I chose the sexuality category, which measured my implicit attitude toward gay and straight individuals. I have manyRead MoreThe Facebook Effect: Research Study621 Words   |  2 Pagespresented statement ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree which is used to measure global self-worth. Possible scored range from 0-30 with normal scores falling between 15 and 25. Implicit Association Test. The IAT (Greenwald Farnham, 2000) was used as a measurement of the participants’ implicit self-esteem. The IAT is a computer-based reaction time task that asks participants to sort words into categories as quickly as possible. Participants sort words having to do with â€Å"me† and â€Å"others†