Psychologists understand that people may
not say what's on their minds either because they
are unwilling
or because they are unable to do so. For
example, if asked "How much do you smoke?" a
smoker who smokes 4 packs a
day may purposely report smoking only 2 packs a
day because they are embarrassed to admit the
correct number. Or, the smoker may simply
not answer the question, regarding it as a private
matter. (These are examples of being unwilling to report a
known answer.) But it is also possible that a smoker who smokes 4 packs a day
may report smoking only 2 packs because they
honestly believe they only smoke about 2 packs a
day. (Unknowingly giving an incorrect
answer is sometimes called self-deception; this
illustrates being unable to give the
desired answer).
The unwilling-unable distinction is like
the difference between purposely hiding something
from others and unconsciously
hiding something from yourself. The
Implicit Association Test makes it possible to
penetrate both of these types of hiding. The IAT measures implicit
attitudes and beliefs that people are either
unwilling or unable to
report.
General Information
Origins and measurement with the IAT
Answers to frequently asked questions about the IAT
Understanding and interpreting IAT results
Ethical considerations for applications of the IAT
Information for researchers and organizations that would like to learn more about the IAT and Project Implicit
Bibliography of relevant research
Project Implicit's Information website: Contains background information about the project, contact information for services, and research materials.
If you have any unanswered questions about the tests, please feel free to email us.
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