Measuring Implicit and Explicit Associations Through
the Use of a Sample Questionnaire and the IAT
Julia Becker
Psychology, St. Olaf College
For the Psychology 130 History and Methods Poster Symposium, December, 2009, Northfield MN
Introduction
Supporting Items Every man has reminiscences which he would not tell to everyone but only his friends. He
has other matters in his mind which he would not reveal even to his friends, but only to
himself, and that in secret. But there are other things which a man is afraid to tell even to
himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind
– Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from the Underground Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination have long been an issue in
society. Whether it is conscious discrimination based on skin color,
automatic gender stereotypes, or unconscious prejudices relating to age
or economic status, we all experience these phenomenon from time to
time. Even though we may claim to have neutral or unbiased beliefs
and attitudes, our unconscious, or implicit associations, may differ.
Through this lab, I would like to raise awareness about the fact that just
as conscious discrimination can have detrimental consequences, so can
unconscious prejudices. In order to demonstrate conscious beliefs and
opinions, students will create and take a sample questionnaire about
attitude towards ageism. They will then take the Age Implicit
Association Test (IAT), comparing this score to their own questionnaire
score. Through these processes, student will gain knowledge and
understanding of the process of questionnaires, the importance of
validity and reliability, and awareness of prejudices and stereotyping,
whether they are conscious or unconscious.
Important Terms to Know
• Prejudice
• Stereotyping
• Discrimination
• Ageism
• Implicit
Readings Procedure
Apparatus & Materials
• One computer per student
• Computers must have reliable internet
• Access to: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
• Microsoft Excel • SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences)
Procedure for Students
• Students will form small groups of 2-3, depending on class size
• Following instruction from the preceptors, in small groups, students will
formulate two questions that aim to measure ageism (10 minutes) • As a class, and in collaboration with the preceptors, one question will be
chosen from each group in order to create a sample questionnaire (25 minutes)
• Once the questionnaire has been completed, each student will individually take
the questionnaire, reporting his or her score to the preceptors (15 minutes)
• Using the computers provided, students will go to https://
implicit.harvard.edu/implicit, and following the instructions provided, take the
Age IAT, again reporting his or her score to the preceptors (10 minutes)
• Students will then run a correlation using SPSS between the sample
questionnaire results and the IAT score, using the combined class data (15
minutes)
• Lastly, students will form groups of 3-4 in order to talk about the discussion
questions (10 minutes)
• If time permits, students may retake the Age IAT, attempting to manipulate
their results. For example, will thinking about good memories of grandparents
while taking the test cause preferences to shift? Procedure for Preceptors
• Give a short presentation, explaining the important terms, paying particular
attention to the concepts of validity and reliability. They may utilize the
discussion questions in order to engage the class (10 minutes) • Instruct students in creating questions: give samples
• Once students have created questions, combine questions to create
questionnaire, using the template provided
• Give demonstration of how to take the IAT (10 minutes)
• Combine class data in a Microsoft Excel worksheet
• Demonstrate how to run a correlation test in SPSS, using the class data (5
minutes)
• Explicit
• Implicit Association Test (IAT)
Learning Objectives
Sample Questionnaire
The article Measuring individual differences in implicit cognition: The implicit
association test (1998) provides a look at the methods, reliability, and validity of
the IAT. It also suggest alternate methods for measuring implicit associations such
as priming.
Discussion Questions
Before procedure:
1. Why are validity and reliability important in scientific research, specifically in
the design of questionnaires?
Objective: discuss methodology Elements of the
2. Why might personal
beliefs differ from underlying implicit preferences?
temporally extended and
distributed
Objective:contextually
differentiate
between implicit and explicit
self
After procedure:
1. Do you think it is possible for a person to have a preference for a group they do
not belong to (i.e. the elderly prefer youth, African American’s have a preference
for Caucasian)? If so, why?
Objective: understand social influence on preferences
2. What are possible explanations for our tendency to place people in groups
(stereotypes)?
Objective: grouping and stereotyping allow for efficient social perception
Data Analysis & Logistics
Data Analysis
Under the guidance of the preceptors, students will use SPSS to
produce a correlation between the results from the Sample
Questionnaire and the IAT. The use of a correlation allows for the
scores to be standardized so the results do not need to be on the
same scale. Logistics
• Assure access to computers. Are there enough for each student?
• Check internet connection
• Assure printer is in working order to print the sample
questionnaires
• Preceptors should test run the Age IAT at https://
implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/approximately one week prior to the
lab Students will:
• Gain knowledge of the concepts of validity and reliability
• Learn how to design a questionnaire
• Evaluate whether the questionnaire they have designed is valid.
• Learn about the importance of validity and reliability in scientific research
• Understand the difference between implicit and explicit prejudice
• Understand why the grouping and stereotyping tendency exists
References
Gladwell, M. (2005). The Warren Harding Error. In Blink (pp. 77-88). New York,
NY: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company.
Greenwald, A. G., McGhee, D.E., & Schwartz, J.L. K. (1998). Measuring individual
differences in implicit cognition: The implicit association test, Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology. 1464-1480.
Perdue, C. W., & Gurtman, M. B. (1990). Evidence for the automaticity of ageism.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 26, 199-216.