Comments on: IAT

By: liz

liz — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 02:37:09 +0000

I completely agree, I found myself very frustrated with the test as well. But after talking about it in class I think the frustration was worth it and that it is a very important test to take. Even if we can find many excuses, like Lexie said, I think it still over all says something about our implicit bias and is important to become aware of. And I agree very much with you Alex that we should take these frustrations and really focus on our actions we can control!

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:34:58 +0000

I also had a very difficult time performing the IAT tests and receiving my results. My understanding of racism is that it is multidimensional and cannot be completely measured by one or two tests on the computer that I truly do believe are not entirely accurate. While I see them as a way to point out important aspects of racism that might reflect some occurrences of unconscious bias, I also think that racism cannot be stripped down to be only understood and explained by these tests. I was upset for a bit about my results but then began to think about it in this way and realize that at this point I have very little control over those implicit biases. However, I do have control over other interactions I have with racism and how I express it. Therefore, i am trying to focus on what I can control.

By: Tennille

Tennille — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:52:42 +0000

I dont think that there is much room for excuses. Do you think that the individual truly is unaware of their biases? Or are we so socially conforming that we can convince ourselves that we do not have prejudices simply because we claim to ourselves that we do not want these beliefs. Can you lie to yourself until you eventually believe your own lie?

By: Lexie

Lexie — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:13:48 +0000

The thing I find interesting about the IAT is that though it has been proven to be very accurate, there are many ways people can claim that it did not accurately portray their racism. Because it measures something that they cannot control, any excuse such as “My left and right hand aren’t the same speed; I was distracted; I think it was unfair” will be used. Do you think that this type of tests leaves a lot of room for excuses, and do you think they’re legitimate?