Skip to main content icon/video/no-internet
icon backReturn to Entries

Implicit Association Test

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is a measure of a person's automatic association of concepts and their favorability. An “attitude” is how favorably a person evaluates something, and “implicit” refers to an indirect or underlying nature. Many different concepts have been measured using the IAT, including those related to the multicultural world. Based on social psychological theories and ideas, it has received considerable research and media attention. Many benefits are purported to be derived from its use, such as understanding the origin and potential eradication of prejudices and discrimination. While there is some empirical support for its validity and reliability, there is also controversy surrounding what can actually be derived from the results and how its usefulness can translate outside the laboratory setting.

Development of the Test

In 1995, researchers Anthony Greenwald and Mahzarin Banaji discussed the idea of implicit and explicit memory extending to other social constructs. If memories outside of consciousness can affect behavior, then attitudes and behavior may also be affected by underlying cognitions. The IAT was first discussed in scientific literature in 1998. It is a measurement of how strong a person automatically associates concepts with attributes, such as favorability. The strength of these mental associations is based on the rapidness of associations that people make. In some circumstances, a person may not be able to explicitly divulge their attitudes due to lack of self-awareness or due to social desirability bias and an unwillingness to divulge them. A better way to uncover and understand underlying attitudes was needed, and the IAT was developed to meet these needs.

The IAT is a 10- to 15-minute test conducted using a computer. The user needs to pair two concept words or images (such as black and white or Arab and Muslim) with preference words (such as pleasant or unpleasant or good or bad). This is done several times in varying orders with a requirement that the user try to indicate the required pairings as quickly as possible by typing corresponding keys on the keyboard once those pairings are displayed. The idea is that faster responses occur with easier pairings and should indicate a stronger association in a person's memory. The IAT is readily available to use in research, and the public can access the tests for personal discovery as well as to take part in continuing research in this area.

Research, Application, and Controversy

Much research has been conducted on the validity and reliability of the test. If the test is repeated several times, it is possible to alter a person's score, and there is concern that a person's score will be biased in the direction of the first set of pairings. There is some disagreement that what is being measured is not truly about an individual's implicit attitude but instead is a cultural attitude or awareness of stereotypes. Familiarity with the concepts can also affect the results, as people tend to show preference for things that are familiar. As the IAT is a measure of cognition and speed, those with a decline in cognitive responsiveness tend to show more extreme IAT scores, which may be a measure of cognitive control rather than an implicit judgment. Another possible interpretation of what the IAT is truly measuring is the cognitive development and distinction of in-groups and out-groups.

...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles

Read next

More like this

Sage Recommends

We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.

close

Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches

close
close
close Signed In to profile You are signed in as:
close
Logged in Institution Institution