Implicit Association Test (Test your biases)

[BattleMoose]

Came across this, its a string of tests that you can take to test your biases that you may have, subconcious or conscious.

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/selectatest.html

I took the race one, testing biases between , well, white and black people. (The test is more pc than that.)

No surprise, my result.


Your data suggest a strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American.

Much more interesting that the actual results for me was how I reacted to the test.

It was very easy for me to relate european faces to "good" and black faces to "bad" but I had a huge mental stumbling block relating black faces to "good" (especially) and white faces to "bad" (less so).

I knew I had this bias before I started, just very surprised how it effected my performance.

P.S I am aware of this biasis and actively try and control it, and would *never* actively discriminate against someone based on skin colour.

[HolyMackerel]

Interesting first test

[dammit]

Somehow, I don't see how this is a really scientific test.

[BattleMoose]

Well, not really sure how scientfically you can go with physcology, but I do think its revealing useful data.

Personally I found it very intersting tho.

[dammit]

Well, not really sure how scientifically you can go with psychology, but I do think its revealing useful data.

Personally I found it very intersting tho.

fixed. Also, psychology is a science and uses various scientific procedures to acquire scientific results for any study. I just don't see how this says anything about how I think.

[BattleMoose]

Did you take the test and view the average results and see how the overwhelming majority of people have a automatic preference for European people?

I don't think trying to understand how you as individual thinks was really one of the goals, at best it could identify a bias that you have, which you may be aware of or not. I would guess it has value in determining biasis that could exist among large population groups?

Note, I know very little about psychology. I found it very interesting how I responded to the test and thats why I posted it here, so that others may hopefully also find their responses interesting. I am much less interested in the actual, "results," nor am I properly qualifed or knowledgable to defend them.

[Azimuth]

Did you take the test and view the average results and see how the overwhelming majority of people have a automatic preference for European people?


That's probably because the overwhelming majority of people who took the test are white Europeans, or of white European descent. And the overwhelming majority of people (black, white, yellow, green, whatever) tend to prefer their own. It's not exactly mysterious.

[dammit]

Did you take the test and view the average results and see how the overwhelming majority of people have a automatic preference for European people?

I don't think trying to understand how you as individual thinks was really one of the goals, at best it could identify a bias that you have, which you may be aware of or not. I would guess it has value in determining biasis that could exist among large population groups?

Note, I know very little about psychology. I found it very interesting how I responded to the test and thats why I posted it here, so that others may hopefully also find their responses interesting. I am much less interested in the actual, "results," nor am I properly qualifed or knowledgable to defend them.

Yes, I've seen these tests before and tried a few of them. Lets look at the results you find so interesting: The majority have a preference for European ppl, apparently. What does this mean? It could mean that the test itself is skewed (possibly not on purpose) to give this result more often, as the gay/straight one seems to be skewed to give a straight preference more often.

The idea behind putting "Good" and "Bad" under various topics and then asking you to group words, to me, seems really really odd and totally unscientific. I don't think biases can really be tested accurately in this manner.

Edit: Exactly what Azimuth said. People prefer their own groups simply because if you didn't, you'd be kinda depressed.

[MrDeVil_909]

I'll need to take the test later, don't have time now. I actually read about the IAT in Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. I've actually avoided it because I expect unpleasant answers. ;)

dammit, it sounds pretty scientific from my understanding of how it works. It tests the relative time taken for different sets of answers, and no matter how many times you take it the answers will fall within the same margin of error.

It may not provide absolute values for our subconscious preconceptions, but can provide relative indicators.

[BattleMoose]

Has anyone here actually tried taking it?

I didnt post this because I think the results are good/true/scientific/correct or revealing. :/

[MrDeVil_909]

Yes, I've seen these tests before and tried a few of them. Lets look at the results you find so interesting: The majority have a preference for European ppl, apparently. What does this mean? It could mean that the test itself is skewed (possibly not on purpose) to give this result more often, as the gay/straight one seems to be skewed to give a straight preference more often.

The idea behind putting "Good" and "Bad" under various topics and then asking you to group words, to me, seems really really odd and totally unscientific. I don't think biases can really be tested accurately in this manner.

In Blink they talk about people of all races taking the test and even black people show similar responses to white people.

[BattleMoose]

Yes, I've seen these tests before and tried a few of them. Lets look at the results you find so interesting: The majority have a preference for European ppl, apparently. What does this mean?

I don't find the results so interesting and am begining to wonder how closely you are understanding what I am saying.


Much more interesting that the actual results for me was how I reacted to the test.


I didnt post this because I think the results are good/true/scientific/correct or revealing. :/


I am much less interested in the actual, "results,"

[Takiro]

Um... it kinda sets where you have to put things? How is that fair?

[dammit]

I'll need to take the test later, don't have time now. I actually read about the IAT in Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. I've actually avoided it because I expect unpleasant answers. ;)

dammit, it sounds pretty scientific from my understanding of how it works. It tests the relative time taken for different sets of answers, and no matter how many times you take it the answers will fall within the same margin of error.

It may not provide absolute values for our subconscious preconceptions, but can provide relative indicators.


In Blink they talk about people of all races taking the test and even black people show similar responses to white people.

heh, I was waiting for that. What I actually find rather odd about the test is it assumes a bias in all people. The test puts the word "Good" under straight people and "Bad" under gay people. In my mind, neither is good nor bad and so I take a longer time trying to classify. (At this point, let me add, I understand they are not classifying gay or straight as good or bad but testing if your subconscious does. However, the lack of a neutral option, I believe, indicates an error in the way the test is conducted).

A better study has been done with young children and dolls of different colours. Considering children under age 7 basically work in the subconscious as their conscious (or frontal lobes) are still developing, these results, to me, are more scientifically accurate.

I've actually always meant to read "Blink" but never gotten around to it.

[BattleMoose]

The test puts the word "Good" under straight people and "Bad" under gay people. In my mind, neither is good nor bad and so I take a longer time trying to classify.

It switches them about as well, so in one set, "gay" and "good" are together and later "gay" and "bad" are together. If you don't have a bias, you should take an equal amount of time in both tests and end up with a neutral result. Not so?

[dammit]

Did you take the test and view the average results and see how the overwhelming majority of people have a automatic preference for European people?

I don't think trying to understand how you as individual thinks was really one of the goals, at best it could identify a bias that you have, which you may be aware of or not. I would guess it has value in determining biasis that could exist among large population groups?



First you asked me to look at the results.


Has anyone here actually tried taking it?

I didnt post this because I think the results are good/true/scientific/correct or revealing. :/

Then you say the results are not really even interesting.


I don't find the results so interesting and am begining to wonder how closely you are understanding what I am saying.

And you wonder why I have no idea what you're trying to say :P


It switches them about as well, so in one set, "gay" and "good" are together and later "gay" and "bad" are together. If you don't have a bias, you should take an equal amount of time in both tests and end up with a neutral result. Not so?

Yes, but again, I don't view either as good or bad. There needs to be a neutral, I believe, to make this test fair.

[smockin' socks]

Here's how the IAT works: The IAT is based on categorisation and association. So the person is flashed words and has to sort them into two groups such as good and bad. It measures the average time it takes you to do this. Then it asks you to categorise objects into two groups - in this case race, using pics is the usual way. Once this is done it asks you to sort both the good words and pics for white faces into one group and bad words and black faces into another. This is swapped around, you then have to sort good words and black faces into one group and white faces and bad words into another.

The rationale is that a biased person will sort the good words + their particular race group quicker than they will sort the bad words + their race group association. Very briefly, and I'm writing from the top of my head here.

This test is based on a certain theoretical model in Psychology - and it is not necessarily right. In fact their are loads of arguments against this model, if you are sadistic enough to inflict looking them up on yourself.

[MrDeVil_909]

heh, I was waiting for that. What I actually find rather odd about the test is it assumes a bias in all people. The test puts the word "Good" under straight people and "Bad" under gay people. In my mind, neither is good nor bad and so I take a longer time trying to classify. (At this point, let me add, I understand they are not classifying gay or straight as good or bad but testing if your subconscious does. However, the lack of a neutral option, I believe, indicates an error in the way the test is conducted).

The test isn't looking at your answer though, it's looking at the time it takes you to answer. A neutral response would be equal time to answer no matter which option is where.


A better study has been done with young children and dolls of different colours. Considering children under age 7 basically work in the subconscious as their conscious (or frontal lobes) are still developing, these results, to me, are more scientifically accurate.

Most biases are not intrinsic though, they are formed through societal and social pressures. A 7 year old hasn't (I would hope) had time to form a bias. It is a study looking at something totally different.


I've actually always meant to read "Blink" but never gotten around to it.

I would recommend it, not mind blowing, but interesting nonetheless. And short, so you should find some time. ;)

[Nandrew]

One thing that concerns me is that the tests themselves seem to *invoke* bias.

For example, I took the Science/Liberal Arts one with gender. This was to test if I had the Male/Science and Female/Arts bias.

Unfortunately, the first thing the test did was request that I group words under Male/Science or Female/Arts, and ONLY AFTERWARDS swapped it around and asked me to pair sciences with females and arts with males.

The way I see it, that particular test trained me up to first make the typical Male/Science association, then screwed with my head by swapping it around, then went "tsk tsk" at my latter results and noted that I was slower in linking science with females. I'd be interested to see what would have happened if I'd done that test back-to-front.

[BattleMoose]

The intrinsic problem is you have to use one grouping first. I would hope that it alternates the order for different subjects to try and control this bias.

[Garson007]

One thing that concerns me is that the tests themselves seem to *invoke* bias.

For example, I took the Science/Liberal Arts one with gender. This was to test if I had the Male/Science and Female/Arts bias.

Unfortunately, the first thing the test did was request that I group words under Male/Science or Female/Arts, and ONLY AFTERWARDS swapped it around and asked me to pair sciences with females and arts with males.

The way I see it, that particular test trained me up to first make the typical Male/Science association, then screwed with my head by swapping it around, then went "tsk tsk" at my latter results and noted that I was slower in linking science with females. I'd be interested to see what would have happened if I'd done that test back-to-front.
Agreed fully, since the first association still sticks afterwards. I made barely any error with the first association and later I just made errors out of pure tiredness.

[wir]

Agreed fully, since the first association still sticks afterwards. I made barely any error with the first association and later I just made errors out of pure tiredness.
I stopped after I saw they automatically assumed bias. Not worth it that way. :/

[MrDeVil_909]

I stopped after I saw they automatically assumed bias. Not worth it that way. :/

but that misses the point completely, there is no assumption of bias, the test is a stopwatch. If you are biased it will take you longer to answer the questions testing for bias.

[wir]

but that misses the point completely, there is no assumption of bias, the test is a stopwatch. If you are biased it will take you longer to answer the questions testing for bias.
Well, I suppose that's true. I stopped a bit impulsively, I guess I didn't see they would swap later on.

Might retake it another time then.