NationStates Jolt Archive

I recently stumbled upon a test constructed by Harvard researchers in order to determine one's automatic preferences for race (click on the race IAT ['Black-White IAT']). Here's the link; it only takes about 5 minutes.

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

Basically, you're presented with either a word or a face. First, you have to press 'e' if the word is associated with something positive or is the face of a white person and press 'i' if the word is associated with something negative or a black person. Then, the keys are switched: you have to press 'e' if the word is associated with something positive or a black person and 'i' if the word is associated with something negative or a white person. People seem to have more trouble the second time around (also, note that the order in which the items are presented makes very little difference; that is, if white/good are paired together to start with or if black/good are paired together to start with, test-takers receive basically the same score). How did you do on the test?

I think that the structure of this test guarantees that by the second round you will have already developed a pattern. The pattern recognition parts of the brain will already have associated a certain class of words and facial appearances with one of the keys.

I'd imagine you'd get a similar result if you started out by associating white faces with bad an black faces with good, and then carried out a similar switch.

The test creates its own results.

Yeah, this is an interesting test. Let's see how NSG will score. These are the results for general population:


Testing for a hidden racial bias
Mistakes volunteers make in computerized test are revealing

By Sara James
Correspondent
NBC News
Updated: 6:56 p.m. ET April 15, 2007

This report aired Dateline Sunday, April 15, 7 p.m.


Sara James
Correspondent
• Profile
While Don Imus has apologized for his racial slurs, he insists he’s not a racist. But is it possible that virtually all of us have a hidden racial bias, hidden even from ourselves? Several years ago Dateline brought together two groups of volunteers, African-American and white, who agreed to take a test, scientifically designed to answer just that question.

Here’s how it works: Words and faces appear rapidly one after another around the screen. The test taker is supposed to link each one to the left or right box here in the center—linking positive words like “friend” to “good” and negative words like “awful” to “bad.” White faces with white. Black faces with black. And it’s the mistakes that are so revealing.

Anthony Greenwald, University of Washington: We find that frequently some people are disturbed by their results.

"Dateline" put this experiment to a difficult challenge, testing a cross section of men and women, including some who have impeccable credentials in race relation—people like Ronda, a civil rights attorney.

During the first half of the test, black is linked to bad, and white is linked to good. For Ronda this half of the test is a breeze. She never makes a mistake. But let’s see how she does when the information is reversed. When the left box marked bad, has a bad face, and the right box labeled good, has a black face.

Suddenly the test becomes much more difficult for Ronda. About a third of the way through she makes a mistake, linking the white face to the right box, even thought that shows a black face.

Ronda’s score indicates a strong preference for white. Is this because she unconsciously associates white with good?

Ronda, volunteer: Well, I could tell when I was taking it, I had so much of an easier time doing the white with good, much to my dismay.

Mahzarin Banaji, Harvard University: We all might be prejudiced in ways we’re not aware.

Mahzarin Banaji of Harvard University and Anthony Greenwald of the University of Washington created this test.

Sara James, Dateline correspondent: What do you think this test reveals that perhaps we didn’t know before?

Banaji: How fair are we being when we judge a person.

Betsy, an events planner, had similar results.

Once again, on the part of the test which associates black with good and white with bad, a white test taker flounders.

There would be many people who would say, ‘What’s wrong with showing a preference for your own race?’

Greenwald: In some context it’s actually illegal to do so. In employment context, in college admissions.

But what does all this prove? Like the other participants, Jeff first took the test individually on a computer and his test too revealed a preference for white.

But he refused the subsequent studio test saying, he doesn’t think the experiment reveals anything at all.

Jeff, volunteer: I think the test for those—for a person like myself, who has some spacial difficulties and left/right difficulties, is questionable.

James: Professor Banaji, Jeff is questioning your test.

Banaji: Well, Jeff’s experience is not unusual. Let’s say you are having spacial difficulties or let’s say you’ve never used a computer before. It could easily have been the case that if that was the problem, that we could see a strong preference for black over white. But that didn’t happen.

In fact, this experiment has passed scientific scrutiny and the results of the professor’s experiments have been published in leading psychological journals. This test has now become even more widely accepted and is available in 19 other countries and 16 different languages.

Our results reflect the professor’s findings.

Banaji: Something like 79 or 80 percent of white Americans who take the test, show a preference for white over black.

And as revealing as those results are, the biggest surprise is yet to come. Even for many black test takers the more challenging part of the test seems to be when black is associated with good and white with bad.

After two attempts, one of our participants still can’t make it to the end.

Even so, Joan still thought she’d show a preference for her own race.

James: Would you be surprised then, Joan, if I said that your test showed a slight preference for white?

Joan: Yes, I would be.

James: Does it shock you?

Joan: Yes...

James: You’re flabbergasted!

Joan: I’m flabbergasted.

And Joan isn’t alone. Dennis is the leader of a civil rights organization. According to his test in the studio, Dennis is neutral but his individual computer test showed a preference for white. His response:

Dennis, volunteer: All we had in images were whites through the type of media outlets that we were exposed to during my age generation and that was a constant reinforcement over and over again.

Of the African-Americans the professor has tested, 42 percent show a preference for white. It’s a large number—especially when you consider that only 17 percent of whites show a preference for blacks.

And what of the other African-Americans we tested?

Heather is an assistant district attorney. On the part of the test where the black face is paired with the word bad, Heather has noticeable difficulty and can’t finish. She showed a strong preference for African-Americans and her pride was unabashed.

Heather, volunteer: This made me feel more comfortable knowing that I’ve embraced my culture.

Randall, a high school music teacher, also showed a preference for his own race.

James: Does it concern you at all that you have a strong preference for African-American?

Randall, volunteer: Does that score mean that I do not like European-Americans? No. Is my subconscious aware of the condition that African-Americans are in this country at this particular point? My conscience is.

According to the research, 48 percent of African-Americans have a preference for their own race.

The professors note that there’s a difference in reaction between blacks and whites when they find out they have a preference for their own race.

You could say it’s pride or prejudice. What blacks consider a badge of health self esteem, many whites regard as an embarrassing revelation.

The professors say this test also reveals something else, something more subtle but equally important. That even unconscious racial biases may effect your behavior. For instance, do white teachers unconsciously favor white students? Jennifer teaches sixth grade.

James: Jennifer, your score came out as a strong preference for white. Do you believe that those unconscious attitudes for whites effects your teaching?

Jennifer, volunteer/teacher: I would hope not. I don’t view people by what they look like. I view people on what they can do and what they feel and how they are.

These aren’t just words and faces on a screen. Not just abstract images. This test suggests that when it comes to the potent question of race, our subconscious is making decisions everyday. They’re decisions that in real time in real life have real consequences.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18122831/

I think that the structure of this test guarantees that by the second round you will have already developed a pattern. The pattern recognition parts of the brain will already have associated a certain class of words and facial appearances with one of the keys.

I'd imagine you'd get a similar result if you started out by associating white faces with bad an black faces with good, and then carried out a similar switch.

The test creates its own results.

That does not explain percentage differences between black and white respondants unless you will claim that there are racial differences in pattern recognition parts of the brain.

Your data suggest little to no automatic preference between European American and African American.
As I expected.

Turns out I'm much more racist to white men than anyone else... just trying to balance the hate I guess.

I made a thread about this a while back...but I'll retake that particular one. I think I got no automatic preference on the race one, but I can't recall for sure.

I remember that I found it interesting when I took the sexual orientation one that when they showed two male figures compared to a male and a female figure together there was no automatic preference, but when it was a straight couple compared to a lesbian couple I had a moderate preference for the straight. That test is different than others because ingroup bias shouldn't be a factor in my case at all, since I'm not in any of those groups, whereas in most of the other tests I am a member of one of the groups. I don't think it could be entirely cultural or anything like that because then that would probably cause an automatic preference for straightness on both. So I'm still trying to figure out why...I think I'll retake both sometime and see if it's changed at all or anything.

I think that the structure of this test guarantees that by the second round you will have already developed a pattern.

As I previously stated, they conducted the experiment with the orders switched, but found only a minimal difference.

Yeah, I got "no preference" on the race one again. Same as last time.

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

I've been on these boards too long.

For a little anecdote: I used to have an incredibly liberal professor of US history (despite his radical slant, he was actually a fine teacher). The bloke spent an entire month discussing racism, the plight of the black man, prevalent prejudice, the LA riots, etc. He was one of the people who was most dedicated to the cause of black equality that I have ever seen; he staunchly supported affirmative action and other such programs. But, when he took the test...the result came back that he had a strong preference for whites. Needless to say, he was quite distraught at the prospect for a while, but eventually realized that implicit assumptions have nothing to do with racism. Basically, selecting the first option does not in any way make you a bigot.

I made a thread about this a while back...but I'll retake that particular one. I think I got no automatic preference on the race one, but I can't recall for sure.

I remember that I found it interesting when I took the sexual orientation one that when they showed two male figures compared to a male and a female figure together there was no automatic preference, but when it was a straight couple compared to a lesbian couple I had a moderate preference for the straight. That test is different than others because ingroup bias shouldn't be a factor in my case at all, since I'm not in any of those groups, whereas in most of the other tests I am a member of one of the groups. I don't think it could be entirely cultural or anything like that because then that would probably cause an automatic preference for straightness on both. So I'm still trying to figure out why...I think I'll retake both sometime and see if it's changed at all or anything.

My guess is:
You don't care about the male-male because you can't possibly be part of it.
You don't care about the straight because it seems normal to you.
You can be a part of the female-female, and it seems odd to you so you've got an unconscious bias against it.

This is just a guess by a total non-psychologist though, so don't take it seriously if you think I'm wrong.

This test is too hard and annoying...first i went to slow....then i went too fast and made too many mistakes...:mad:

Wait...
FreedomAndGlory is posting this?
This topic is totally not biased towards the far right.
Which means he's left his troll mask.
Which would imply he had a troll mask to begin with.
FreedomAndGlory, you ARE a troll and not just far right.

(and while typing that, I realized what FreedomAndGlory acronyms to, which is even more proof he's a troll.)

The test got annoyed with me and kicked me off...

This test is too hard and annoying...first i went to slow....then i went too fast and made too many mistakes...:mad:

That's the point. The mistakes you make are supposed to indicate what type of bias you have, if any. You're certainly not expected to get all of them correct if you go at a rapid pace.

FreedomAndGlory is posting this?
This topic is totally not biased towards the far right.
Which means he's left his troll mask.
Which would imply he had a troll mask to begin with.
FreedomAndGlory, you ARE a troll and not just far right.

Of course, there's another possibility. I am not, in fact, a stereotypical right-winger who cannot go two words without spouting some Hitler-loving spam, but can in fact post coherently on a wide variety of issues, not all of which are right-leaning. In fact, truth be told, I am only moderately right-wing in an economic sense and fairly centrist in a social one.

is freedomandglory making a.....reasonable topic? Where's the talk about blacks needing to work harder to correct the negative image they've created? Where's the talk about taxing employed blacks more than employed whites to close the gap since more blacks are unemployed?

Where's the FAG we all know and love? You're actually being....reasonable.

Slight automatic preference for whites, here.

is freedomandglory making a.....reasonable topic? Where's the talk about blacks needing to work harder to correct the negative image they've created? Where's the talk about taxing employed blacks more than employed whites to close the gap since more blacks are unemployed?

Where's the FAG we all know and love? You're actually being....reasonable.

See, someone else noticed it.

See, someone else noticed it.

Noticed what? That I'm not a one-dimensional person as some liberals tend to think?

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

This is what I received. I figured that would be as much. Since I am white myself. I think it is human to have a natural preference to ones that resemble oneself.

The first time I took the test several months ago I had a slight preference towards white people. Then I took it again, and I had a slight preference for black people.

Luckily, this time things balanced out and I now have no preference either way.

In short, the test is silly.

I had a strong automatic preferance for whites...interesting.

I clicked your link and it took me to a different test, but here are my results anyway.

These are the associations that you showed in this study:

* Your data suggest no difference in your association between Exercising or Relaxing with Good or Bad.
* Your data suggest a moderate automatic association of Liberals with Good and Conservatives with Bad.
* Your data suggest a slight automatic association of Liberals with Relaxing and Conservatives with Exercising.


that's interesting.....

found this one

Your data suggest little to no automatic preference between Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey.

going to bed now.

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

Those who know my position on race*, wouldn't be surprised at all. ;)

*There's only one human race - H. sapiens sapiens. What's usually called "race" is a useless (at best), ill defined, artificial, and outdated concept, that causes problems simply by being subscribed to.

Anyone take the Native American test?

Most prefer the term American Indian BTW.

My guess is:
You don't care about the male-male because you can't possibly be part of it.
You don't care about the straight because it seems normal to you.
You can be a part of the female-female, and it seems odd to you so you've got an unconscious bias against it.

This is just a guess by a total non-psychologist though, so don't take it seriously if you think I'm wrong.

That could be it. I don't know.

I got the result: Slight automatic preference for blacks.

I did the Native American test too and got a moderate preference for white americans.

FYI, I am not American. I think that influenced me on the Native American test. I had trouble identifying the state names.