Students often have a difficult time understanding implicit measures. you are going to (1) take an implicit measures test and then (2) watch a video about it. The goal is to increase your understanding of what these tests look like and how they assess attitudes.

In psychology, implicit refers to something of which we are unaware. For example, implicit memory is another term for nondeclarative memory -- the memories of which we are unaware and cannot consciously recollect, but nonetheless influence our behavior.

The implicit-association test (IAT) measures the strength of a one's automatic association between concepts in memory. The most commonly discussed version of the IAT looks at associations between concepts of black versus white with good versus bad. 

To take an IAT:

1. Go to https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
2. In the "Project implicit social attitudes" box, click "Go!" This will allow you to take the test without registering.
3. The IAT discussed in your book is the "Race IAT." You can take this one, or any of the others available on this website.

The IAT measures automatic associations between concepts, which is very different than measuring hidden or secret attitudes. Someone who is non-prejudiced may still have a stronger white-good association due to cultural stereotypes.

In this NBC news report, Anthony Greenwald and Mahzarin Banaji are interviewed about the implicit association test (IAT). The video shows a number of white and black Americans taking a version of the IAT, and their reactions are revealed in post-test interviews. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5Q5FQfXZag

 

Question:  Which IAT did you take? What were the results? Were you surprised? Why do you think you got the results that you did? Do you know have a better understanding of the IAT? Do you have any remaining questions?

 

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