What does the Implicit Association Test (IAT) measure?

Question

What does the Implicit Association Test (IAT) measure?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider what the Implicit Association Test (IAT) is designed to capture in social psychology. 
Option A: 'Explicit attitudes and beliefs that people consciously report.' This is incorrect because the IAT is specifically used to uncover associations that people may not consciously endorse or even realize they hold, whereas explicit attitudes are measured through self-reports or surveys.

Option B: 'Unconscious associations and implicit biases about groups, which people may not be aware of.' This statement aligns with the core purpose of the IAT: it assesses automatic, fast associations between concepts (like group categories) and attributes, often revealing biases that are not accessible to conscious awareness or deliberate reflection.

Option C: 'Positive beliefs about the groups people perceive themselves to belong to.' While some individuals may hold positive views about their own group, the IAT does not specifically measure these self-perceived positive beliefs as its primary output; instead it targets implicit associations across groups and attributes.

Option D: 'People's innate tendency to discriminate against outgroup members.' The IAT does not posit an innate, fixed tendency to discriminate; it reveals culturally learned and automatic associations that can vary by context and exposure. It is about measured implicit biases, not a claim of an inevitable innate disposition.

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What does the Implicit Association Test (IAT) measure?

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What does the Implicit Association Test (IAT) measure?

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