Using the Implicit Association Test as an Unconsciousness Raising Tool in Psychology

People are reluctant to admit they harbor implicit biases. Students (N 68) from four social psychology courses completed an assignment designed to raise awareness about implicit biases. After completing an Implicit Association Test (IAT), students answered six essay questions, read two articles on the IAT, and answered five additional essay questions. Before the readings, students showed uncertainty about the IAT’s ability to measure their implicit attitudes. The main reason students gave in support of or against the IAT’s validity was the congruency between their implicit and explicit attitudes. After the readings, more students agreed that the IAT measured prejudice. This assignment was a useful tool in raising students ’ awareness about their unconscious biases and teaching them about implicit attitudes. Keywords implicit attitudes, unconscious awareness, teaching tool, IAT As the United States becomes more diverse, the discussion and eradication of implicit biases has become more important. Today, contemporary and subtle forms of discrimination such as modern, symbolic (Blatz & Ross, 2009; McConahay & Hough, 2010), and aversive racism (Penner et al., 2010) ar