Implicit Attitudes

Implicit attitudes are evaluations that occur without conscious awareness. As with explicit/conscious attitudes, evaluations may be favorable or unfavorable and are directed at an attitude object (e.g., person, place, thing). Researchers have frequently studied implicit attitudes directed toward the self, ingroups, and outgroups. In addition to existing outside of conscious awareness, these evaluations may also influence behavior without an individual’s conscious awareness. Therefore, implicit attitudes are concerned with the automatic and unconscious processes underlying judgments and social behavior alike. Research findings indicate that socialization and past experiences are associated with the development of implicit attitudes, yet it is possible that recent experiences shape these attitudes as well. Furthermore, research indicates that implicit attitudes tend to be more predictive of behaviors that are automatic, whereas explicit ...