Facing ourselves: new tests for hidden biases at Project Implicit

This is by no means the first time I’ve encouraged readers to plumb the depths of their hidden biases with the help of Project Implicit and its Implicit Association Test (IAT), an instrument which “measures implicit attitudes and beliefs that people are either unwilling or unable to report.” With the recent discussion here and elsewhere of gender bias, I thought it was time to revisit the IAT.

The IAT tests for biases across a range of categories, from gender to skin tone to disability. Since I first wrote about it, Project Implicit has introduced other tests, including

• the “Weapons – Harmless Objects” IAT, which requires the ability to recognize White and Black faces, and images of weapons or harmless objects;
• the “Arab Muslim – Other People” IAT, which requires the ability to distinguish names that are likely to belong to Arab-Muslims versus people of other nationalities or religions; and
• a “2008 Presidential Election” IAT, which requires the ability to recognize images of U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.

You can also take the Three Countries IAT (link good at the time of this post), which requires participants to identify words associated with China, India, and Japan.

Visit Project Implicit and get to know yourself better.

                       

Diane J. Levin

Diane Levin, J.D., is a mediator, dispute resolution trainer, negotiation coach, writer, and lawyer based in Marblehead, Massachusetts, who has instructed people from around the world in the art of talking it out. Since 1995 she has helped clients resolve disputes involving tort, employment, business, estate, family, and real property… MORE >