Introduction
The implicit association test, also known as the IAT, is a measurement tool used to identify unconsciously formed connections among mental images of concepts in the mind. The evaluation of subconscious biases possessed by individuals being tested, which includes relationships between specific categories of races and prejudices about these populations, is its most common application. The examination can assess a wide range of belief connections, including those concerning ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and faith, as well as the test-takers self-worth, views on politics, and expectations (Albarracin & Vargas, 2010).
Considering the accuracy, trustworthiness, and practical application of the unconscious association test in detecting unintentional prejudice, a substantial scholarly and public dispute exists. Some argue that the IAT does not objectively reflect a person’s attitudes, even though it helps to determine the most evident cognitive biases the individual has (Albarracin & Vargas, 2010). However, it is possible to assume that the IAT is an effective supplementary tool in assessing an individual’s views and attitudes, which makes its use practically justified in conjunction with other tests.
Critical Review of Implementation
The challenging issue is that since the IAT does not involve a direct or self-report assessment, it cannot determine whether a person has biases. The IAT makes an effort to evaluate prejudices that can sometimes be individually acknowledged and can even be counter to a person’s actively held beliefs. The IAT assesses the degree to which concepts, such as gay individuals and black people, are linked with judgments, such as favorable or unfavorable, or prejudices, such as athletic or awkward (Mahzarin et al., 2010). The essential point is that it is simpler to respond when closely linked things have an identical reply code.
The IAT test is directly connected with the theory of cognitive biases, which is the inclination of the mind to reduce the processing of information using the lens of individual tastes and experiences. The brain uses filtering to cope with arranging and digesting massive amounts of data rapidly. As a result, the conclusions the person makes are not typically based on a thorough understanding of the topic. Instead, they are based on the individual’s limited and subjective personal experience and are generally incomplete (Cooper et al., “Chapter 8: Resistance to Persuasion,” 2016). It states that the IAT test helps people detect their cognitive biases and work on removing them.
Recommendations
The IAT tests prove their validity despite certain flaws in their objectivity. Therefore, it is possible to recommend their implementation across the country when there is a need to assess the individual’s cognitive biases and attitudes. The alternative for self-reports on a particular topic is to prove with examples whether the person assesses their views objectively.
In general, the combination of the tests might give more justified results in practice if there is a need to evaluate the individual’s attitudes and predict how they would behave in controversial situations (Cooper et al., “Chapter 9: Implicit measurement of attitudes,” 2016). It allows one to recommend using the IAT test and other types of self-assessment, including writing personal narration. In addition, people may have negative attitudes toward questions they do not know in detail.
As a result, they will be categorized as respondents with a prejudged attitude toward the things they do not understand. This determines the need for a previous discussion of the issue with the respondent if the IAT test is implemented in the educational or professional environment (Albarracin & Vargas, 2010). For instance, the psychologist who evaluates the results of the IAT test should be aware of the respondents’ background and ask them additional questions concerning their level of knowledge of the topic.
People tend to disagree with the claims that they operate with stereotypes and are prejudiced against others. For example, it is unlikely that the individual will say that they prefer white to black skin or consider young people to be better than old. These issues are not culturally acceptable, which makes people adapt to social rules. At the same time, even when the individual does not articulate these ideas publicly, it does not mean they do not have them (Albarracin & Vargas, 2010).
The IAT tests allow those people who hesitate concerning their views on the contradictory questions to understand their actual attitudes. It can be used by those individuals who want to change their thoughts and avoid cognitive biases in the future. It justifies using the IAT tests in different spheres of life because it opens opportunities for personal development.
Conclusion
The Implicit Association Test has a comparatively long history of practical use and immediately elicited positive responses. Scholars thought that implicit measures that include the IAT would allow them to ultimately close the disparity between claimed beliefs and actions. Nevertheless, after two decades of study and numerous meta-analyses, scientists have to say that the International Association for Testing and its successors have not corresponded to these aspirations. Overall validity improvement compared to other measures based on self-report is low, and their ability to forecast general behavioral parameters is poor.
Therefore, it is possible to state that the IAT has specific implementation problems while assessing the respondents’ attitudes. It is a significant drawback to use it for testing across the country. At the same time, this method can be used with other types of tests and self-reflexive reports to gain a more thorough and objective understanding of the person’s attitudes.
References
Albarracin, D. & Vargas, P. (2010). Attitudes and persuasion. From biology to social responses to persuasive intent. In T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, and L. Gardner. Handbook of social psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
Cooper, J., Blackman, S.F., & Keller, K.T. (2016). Chapter 8: Resistance to persuasion. The science of attitudes. Routledge.
Cooper, J., Blackman, S.F., & Keller, K. T. (2016). Chapter 9: Implicit measurement of attitudes. The science of attitudes. UK: Routledge.
Mahzarin, R, Banaji, R and Heiphetz, A. (2010). Attitudes. Chapter 10. In T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, and L. Gardner. Handbook of social psychology. John Wiley & Sons, UK.