IAT Test.

For one of my college essays, I was required to take an IAT, which I gathered is the Implicit Association Test. This wasn't an ordinary test in the sense you answer questions and submit your responses to see how you rate on a psychological scale for example. This is a test of your subconscious. This test is designed to see how people think and react to certain set of objects.

I was required to take the Race IAT. This particular one had me matching pictures to either African Americans and European Americans. Then words to Good or Bad. Then words to Good under African Americans and Bad under European Americans and vice versa. This test is based on speed, you need to make your decisions split seconds after you see the picture or word to determine what 'society' you lean towards.

I thought it was interesting that this test revealed that I slightly associate myself with European Americans more than African Americans. Basically it said I'm somewhat biased against African Americans as opposed to European Americans. It does not say in any way that I'm racist, but rather that I just lean towards them more.

I was curious as if people would like to take the tests themselves and talk about their results.
Link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implici...takeatest.html

What do you think caused the fact that in my case I associate stronger with Europeans as opposed to Africans?
Maybe you'd like to take the test yourself to try out your bias, as I read more into it and saw that even African Americans associate more with Europeans than other Africans, which was quite interesting.

I just created this thread to discuss the reasons behind our subconscious being altered this way how? What makes us think this way? What could have done this?

it might be that you associate more with Europeans because you're white

Before even taking the test, I'm going to say that having society and media stamp stereotypes and generalisations in our minds years on end will make us subconsciously associate certain things to certain people not necessarily because it's what we believe, but because it's what's kept ever present in our minds throughout our lives whether we agree with it or not.

Thus I'm immediately inclined to take this test's intention with only a grain of salt.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by *jdm*

it might be that you associate more with Europeans because you're white

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Actually. If you took the test, you would realize its not based on race that you are, just how you view other races. I could bring up an excerpt of an African American associating himself more with European Americans than African Americans. I doubt he is white *jdm*. So that is not a valid response really. I had considered myself open minded and neutral towards both European Americans and African Americans.

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Originally Posted by Ghost101

I had considered myself open minded and neutral towards both European Americans and African Americans.

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yet the test proves that on a subconscious level that you aren't, but that is to be expected after centuries of racism and prejudice leaving even my own race with a subconscious of self loathing and hate

So much demographic questions.

Taking the test now, seeing my presumption before was wrong. I don't like the idea of how it associates good/white in one category, bad/black in another, and then once you've done that like 6 times, it reverses them. I think it's not really a surprise if people mess up after having the previous process drilled in their mind first.

That being said:

Code:

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

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by *jdm*

yet the test proves that on a subconscious level that you aren't, but that is to be expected after centuries of racism and prejudice leaving even my own race with a subconscious of self loathing and hate

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Then how will you be able to explain Alu's results? Why don't you try taking the test yourself? Are you saying you're ashamed of your heritage because you're African American?

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Originally Posted by Ghost101

Then how will you be able to explain Alu's results? Why don't you try taking the test yourself? Are you saying you're ashamed of your heritage because you're African American?

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i will once i finish my paper, and no i'm talking about why there is a subconscious dislike for black in many people, the main cause being centuries of institutionalized racism and segregation that makes people dislike black even if they don't realize and that effects some black people too though im not one of those people. (hope that makes more sense)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by *jdm*

i will once i finish my paper, and no i'm talking about why there is a subconscious dislike for black in many people, the main cause being centuries of institutionalized racism and segregation that makes people dislike black even if they don't realize and that effects some black people too though im not one of those people. (hope that makes more sense)

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That made more sense haha. But one thing you don't know is if you're one of those African Americans who are affected until you take the test. I was surprised when I got slightly towards Europeans.
When I looked up the results, it commented that 80% of all Americans associate stronger with Europeans.

jdm's saying kind of what I said. Stereotypes and generalisations are branded into people's minds all the time, and it sticks whether it you want it to or not.

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Originally Posted by Ghost101

When I looked up the results, it commented that 80% of all Americans associate stronger with Europeans.

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I'd argue that a contributing factor would be what i already mentioned in my last few posts

As Alusair stated..... generalisations

Additionally standardised testing removes all situational data, as does terminology

At the risk of using politically incorrect of offensive terms....

Would a person offer the same reply if:
instead of "African American" it said "black person"?
instead of "European American" it said "white person"?
instead of good/bad it offered the option of neutrality?
instead of a simple question/response, it offered a "what if" scenario?

Additionally, how do the answers of an Australian/New Zealander/Brit/Canadian etc relate to this test, since both sides are about Americans?

What if, prior to starting the test, you were asked to consider 2 people you knew, one of each stereotype, then answer the test based on those 2, instead of groupings?

Although this type of test can give some surprising answers, perhaps even insight, I wonder if maybe it causes it's own problems, by removing the personable information.

Tried the test. I apparently have a strong affinity for Arabs over Other People.

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Originally Posted by Khalee

Additionally, how do the answers of an Australian/New Zealander/Brit/Canadian etc relate to this test, since both sides are about Americans?

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It's oriented towards Americans, so non-Americans will have to work with what they can. It doesn't look too hard, except the questionnaires specifically directed towards Americans about their own country.

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What if, prior to starting the test, you were asked to consider 2 people you knew, one of each stereotype, then answer the test based on those 2, instead of groupings?

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I imagine people would then choose people that fit their personally perceived stereotypes of those groups, which would not necessarily be neutral.

I got this.

Your Result
Your data suggest little to no automatic preference between African American and European American.

I'm New Zealand though, not American.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alusair

It's oriented towards Americans, so non-Americans will have to work with what they can.

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... Is that an Asian joke?

Joking aside, I got "Your data suggest a strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American." I partially understand that, considering I live in America and I'm half European-American, but what about my other Japanese half? It would be nice if I could try out a similar test with Asian-American and European American...

And am I the only one who got this result?

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Originally Posted by Montros

... Is that an Asian joke?

Joking aside, I got "Your data suggest a strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American." I partially understand that, considering I live in America and I'm half European-American, but what about my other Japanese half? It would be nice if I could try out a similar test with Asian-American and European American...

And am I the only one who got this result?

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I did use the word right, didn't I? It wasn't an intentional joke.

Also, Montros, you could consider taking this test:

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Asian IAT
Asian American ('Asian - European American' IAT). This IAT requires the ability to recognize White and Asian-American faces, and images of places that are either American or Foreign in origin.

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This may be what you were looking for. It's the first option in the "select a test" menu.

http://bbs.evony.com/picture.php?alb...ictureid=20750

Thats what I got as my result, so no Montros you werent the only one ...

I did the Native one.

I gotta say, this test is pretty ignorant. I mean like, it's not correct. Utah, Missouri, Miami, Ohio...those are Native American words and the test claimed they were not. The test itself is pretty cool, fun and seems to be fairly accurate. But all these American cities are Native American words.



Your data suggest a strong association of White Am. with Foreign and Native Am. with American compared to Native Am. with Foreign and White Am. with American.

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

What on Earth is a European-American?

This test reminds me of when i had to get tested for ADD. You'd sit at a computer for 3 hours and click one side when a box came up inside of another box and not click when it came up on the outside of it. Then they would switch. They did a similar test involving sounds. Was quite irritating ;)

I think this test shows more how your brain works then anything. If they had done African Americans/ Good first i wonder how my score would have been. Either way test says i lean towards the whities
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Apologies if this has already been stated, i'm too lazy to read the whole thread ;)

I took the African American - European American quiz.

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