Everyone has unconscious or implicit biases that impact our judgment and behavior. Since these biases are unintended, or “unconscious,” it is essential to have a way to uncover our biases as a first step toward changing them. This is where the IAT comes in.
What is the IAT?
The IAT (Implicit Association Test) is a series of online tests designed to measure the unconscious associations you make to characterize races, genders, sexual identities, and more.
The IAT was developed by social psychologists at Harvard University, the University of Virginia, and the University of Washington. The test forms the basis for Project Implicit, an international non-profit with a mission to educate and collect data on implicit (or “unconscious”) bias.
How does the IAT work?
When you take the IAT, you are asked to quickly sort words and images onto the left and right sides of your computer screen. Depending on the test you take, the images are of people who represent different races, ages, genders, etc. The words are either positive (“happy,” “attractive”) or negative (“angry,” “failure”).
The IAT is a 5-part test
The IAT test has five parts, in which you are asked to sort the words and images in different variations. Your response time is measured, with the idea that it will take an individual longer to respond when asked to make associations that go against his or her bias (for example, pairing “old” and “beautiful”).
Is the IAT accurate?
Critics of the IAT argue that it measures familiarity rather than bias. For example, if you are taking the Religion IAT, and don’t know a lot about Judaism, it might take you longer to associate characteristics with that group.
But familiarity plays into the construction of biases, so it may be impossible to completely separate the two concepts. The IAT does have limitations, but analyzing IAT results is a useful method for identifying implicit bias—and this is essential in the effort to mitigate its negative effects.
How can you take the IAT?
There are many different versions of the IAT, designed to measure bias among various groups. For example, there’s a test for Race (Black/White), Arab-Muslims, Gender-Science, Age, and Weight.
You can choose to take one or all of them on the Project Implicit website. For a more entertaining version of the test, check out MTV’s Look Different campaign. MTV partnered with Project Implicit to create IATs on race, gender, and sexual orientation that feature celebrities including Kendrick Lamar, Daniel Radcliffe, and Mindy Kaling.
Interpreting your IAT results
Your IAT score will indicate a “slight,” “moderate,” or “strong” automatic preference toward a certain group (depending on the test you take).
Very rarely, your data may reflect no automatic preferences.
When your score shows a preference, that doesn’t mean you’re prejudiced. The word “prejudiced” usually describes someone who reports negative attitudes about a group or groups of people. The IAT is designed to measure the hidden preferences you may not know you have, and which may run counter to your conscious beliefs.
But it’s important to understand that your automatic preferences can influence your behavior and judgments. Acknowledging these implicit biases is the first step to learning how to control them, so you can overcome them in your decision-making.
For more on implicit bias, check out this blog post and don't miss our accredited courses on implicit bias for healthcare professionals and maternal care providers.