Do we always say what we mean? Do we always mean what we say? Half the time, I'm not even sure people know what they are saying. We are beings with opinions - some very strong, others unfounded - but where do these opinions, that fuel and drive our actions and behaviors, really come from and do we truly understand why we form them?
A group of Harvard smarty pants's asked this very same question and instead of accepting it as a rhetorical inquiry, turned it into what else, but an experiment. It is called the IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST and this is how it goes:
People may not always speak their minds or share their opinions for one of two reasons: they are unwilling or unable. To be unwilling is to not want to share (even though I was taught that "sharing is caring") because of shame, privacy, insecurity etc. To be unable is to not even be aware of the reasoning behind a thought or assumption or to be "self-deceptive."
The Harvard geeks decided to create an experiment to test whether or not someone is unwilling or unable to reveal his/her deep-seeded inner consciousness, thoughts and feelings. Nowhere is this more applicable than the issue of stereotyping - what we think and what we believe about another race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc.
If I ask you, "Are you racist?" I doubt you'd answer, "yes." You probably don't think you favor one race over another, but do you, without even realizing it? That is the essential question the Implicit Association Test attempts to uncover.
So, take the RACE IAT test. Find out if you are hiding in a closet of closed-mindedness or racial preference that you never even knew you were lost in. Report your findings. What do you think about the test? Are you surprised by your findings? Let this experiment help you unlock the door to your subconscious and maybe then you can open it and let the world in.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote: "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."
25 comments:
I wanted to be the first to respond because as the GREAT CREATOR of this site and assignment, of course I had to take it for a test run. I was given this assignment in a college course on Race, Class and Gender and it opened my eyes. The first time I took it as an undergraduate student, my result was that I showed a preference for European Americans over African Americans and I felt racist. I didn't understand that I may not consciously act out this subconscious preference association, but started to ask myself questions about typical negative stereotypes about different races and whether or not I, in some instances, subscribe to them:
For example, do I automatically lock the doors or look behind me when driving in a heavily populated black area like Newark? Do I study or "profile" passengers on planes who may look of Muslim or Arab descent? Try to catch yourself in the act of stereotyping - it happens and it happens more often than you probably notice.
**I just took the same test tonight and received a score of not having a distinct preference for one race over the other so either my reaction time is evening out on the keys, or I am more aware of where my thoughts come from and why they influence my actions. I'd like to believe in the latter. 'Cause I'm just that good.
My results said, "Your data suggest a strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American."
I am surprised by my findings because I don't think I am biased towards or against either of those races. I have my opinions on them due to stereotypes and my personal experiences but I don't think I have a strong "automatic" preference toward European Americans. To be completely honest I don't know a lot of white people in the first place so I don't see how I'm strongly biased towards them.
I got the same results as Ashley. I'm pretty shocked. I've always considered everyone to be equals and I've never consciously treated anyone differently because of their race or ethnicity.
I guess it's true that it ISN'T always a conscious thing. I hope that, like Ms. Depalo, my results can change and the part of my mind that is not conscious about these things will catch up with the part that is.
My result for the test was: " little to no automatic preference between black and white people". I was surprised about my result not because i have a particular preference for a race, but because it seemed that a preference for European Americans was the common response. Even though I'm a person who treats any race equally I believe that this test is somewhat inaccurate. I think this because it seems that the test relies more on hand-eye coordination rather then actual opinions on differen races.
My result said that I have a “slight” preference for African Americans than to European Americans. I strongly agree with how I did with the race test. I am NOT surprised about my test results. Why? Because, I am from a predominantly black area; meaning that I am more comfortable with blacks than I am with whites, which is completely normal. However, my mother has always taught me to treat people with equality and respect. I hope my results will change because in life I will have to work with people from different ethnic backgrounds.
My test result showed a moderate automatic preference for European American compared to African American. I thought this test is honestly very wrong, personally. I am very surprised by my findings. I think just because you press some buttons faster than others means anything but just that. I'm very into civil rights, especially about races, and i think this website is very inaccurate.
I have gotten the same results as Ashley and Emma, and I am very shocked. I feel as if I am racist, in my head I always thought as everyone equal. I never really thought my results would turn out to me not preferring a group over another. Personally I do not understand why my results came out to “strong automatic preference to European Americans”. As that being my result I want to look at what’s really inside a person instead of just looking on the outside.
Most of the time when people talk to each other, they do not think beforehand. Whatever comes to mind within that two second window usually is what comes out of their mouths. But, when people do say what they think, it may not always be interpreted the same way by every person. You could be perceived as complimenting one person, while another individual is taking offense to your opinion. People are influenced by their peers, families, historical figures, and celebrities on TV. This influence is shown when people start to believe that, “if so and so said it, then I can say it too” or “if so and so did this, then I can do that too.” Sometimes personal experience plays a large part in a person’s predisposition. I feel that I do not fully understand why we form strong opinions; they have just always been present in my life.
My results for the IAT showed that I have a “moderate automatic preference for European American compared to African American.” Before I took this test, I predicted that my results would indicate a greater preference for whites as compared to blacks. I am not surprised by the results showing “moderate,” instead of strong or little preference. As I understand from this survey, I believe that I appreciate being associated with the European American population, and at the same time, can associate well with the African American community.
My IAT result was "little to no automic preference." I was a little suprised by this because I truthfully get along with black people. Most of my friends are black and most people that I had classes with last year know that I am somewhat ghetto for an Indian. I don't think I'm more prejudiced towards white people, but I just thought that my results would be a little preferenced towards African Americans.
I don't really think that students mean what we say or understand the impact it has on another person. That girl who wrote that article did not think she was offending him at the beginning, she just thought that if other people thought he didn't act black would effect him. I think everyone should start thinking before they speak because, you never know, it might start the beginning to the end of discrimination in our world.
After taking the RACE IAT test, I discovered I got the same exact results as Ashley, Emma, and Bianca. It was "a strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American." I also found it extremely surprising. I'm starting to think am I really that racist of a person? I agree with Bianca on how I don't understand how I got these results... I thought this test was also inaccurate because while I was doing it, I found it confusing. On Thursday, when we we're putting adjectives to describe whites and blacks... We came across blacks are more stereotypically athletic and fast. Well, in the winter, I do track and sprint. Honestly, everyone on the team that sprints are black and they are great at sprinting. I treat them just like any other person I would treat whether they are black or white.
My result was "a slight automatic preference for African American compared to European American." I'm not really that surprised by it, because even though I hang out with more white people than black, I tend to like black people a little more. They seem more honest and fun, and also more down-to-earth than most white people. I also like white people of course, seeing as I hang out with them most of the time. I don't think this test is really that accurate though, because of what Cesar stated. It seems to have more to do with hand-eye coordination than actual racial preference.
My results were that i had a moderate preference to European Americans compared to African American. I am somewhat surprised by this but at the same time I am not. The reason why is because since I was so used to live in an area where most African Americans were inhabited in, that I never actually got to meet an actual white person. So...when I moved to West Orange, I was surprised by the number of white people in this school and so the difference and change of those two races affected me in a way that I actually like white people more. But it is in a way not that you think. Like, its really different and new to me and I'm still not used to it. I pretend like oh, it's no big deal but really I keep it in to myself because people automatically assume that I would be racist when in reality I am not because I am not used to the way typical white people act and talk and socialize compared to african americans. I actually thought i would have a moderate preference to african americans but in a way I understand why my results were how they were.
My results came out to be "little to no automatic preference between African American and European American."
During the duration of this test, I had a nervous feeling of how they would judge me. I came up with the same answers as Kristie and she states that she thought her test would side more towards african americans. I feel many people think that I am racist because most of my friends are White. I am not quick to judge others, but i come off that way. I constantly am judged by others because of the small group of people I hang out with. Most of the test I had no clue where it was going with the questions, I found it confusing and misjudging.
It said I had slightly perfer African Americans to European Americans. I was quite shocked, but that might be because the my fingers started to get confused and I have to admit, I was a little offended when I saw they put "African American and bad" section first. I guess we all have at least 0.5% rasical bias in us. CURSE THE ACCEPTED STEREOTYPES OF SOCIETY!! Maybe I got that answer because of the history of slavery was running in my mind and I started to feel bad. I DONT KNOW, MY BRAIN IS HURTING, I'M THINKING TOO MUCH.
Though I agree with Sai and Ceasar, hand-eye will mess with your answer.
HEY! I was shocked about that too...I play Mario Power tennis on my gamecube a lot, That has lots of hand-eye cooradination. !!!!...off topic.
I like the tests though, I was going to watch Samurai Jack, but I think I'll play with the website some more.
My test results told me that I slightly prefer African Americans over European Americans. I wasn't suprised about these results because I actually predicted that my results would be something like this. I don't consider myself racist at all but I think it is natural for people to feel more comfortable around their own race. I have always spent more time with my black friends but I don't treat white friends any different. I also don't assume that one race will act a certain way and I wait until i get to know the person before I know that I don't want to be around him or her.
This test stated that I had a strong preference for European Americans over African Americans. I do not think that this test is entirely accurate considering the fact that I am not racist in any way. I was very surprised since many of my friends are about half and half. Personally I do not favor one race over another including my own. Typing keys into a computer does not convince me that I favor one race over another and does not convince me that I am a racist.
My test results said I had a moderate automatic preference for white people over black people. I was not very surprised by this even though I wished that I would have had little to no automatic preference. I thought, "well almost all of my friends are white, although I have classes with many African American students and have no prejudices against them, I still have stereotypes floating around in the back of my mind." Often when thinking of black people, I will see the stereotypical "gangster" instead of poised and outstanding students like Efe and Austyn. Although I think the method the test used to determine "racial preference" was good, I definitely think there are some flaws. In the beginning, one of the instructions was to go fast, so instead of taking my time to read some of the adjectives or look at the pictures, I would accidentally 'e' or 'i', not meaning to. Maybe that was the point, as if my accidental hitting of a key was my subconscious.
Unfortunately, I was given the title of being a moderately racist Pro white people and con black people. I don't believe I am racist, such a bad habit can prevent and destroy friendships. In fact of quite sure I'm not racist and we're going to have a short story time. !!!!!!!STTTTTOOOORRRYY TIIIMMMEEE!!!!!:
So I decided to go to my friend's, Ned, Church for youth which is social interaction of young Christians. Now the youth group I normally go to has a well diversified group of spanish, whites,black, and the like.However, this church had only white people running all over the building. I felt like I was drowning in white people it was so awkward for me. If I was racist I doubt that such a react would occur. So I'd have say screw the test, it's completely absurd.
my test results were little to no automatic preference between African American and European American. I was happy because they reflect on my feelings towards both races, due to that fact that I'm around all types of people, and am friends with different ethnicities of people, I was very relieved at the same time I started asking myself if it was the truth.I don't believe this test can tell if someone is trully races,because throughout it I was concentrating on not being races, and it could have messed with the results.I didn't want my results to say I had a preference toward Europeans because then I would be seen as bias and races against my own ethnicity, and I didn't want them to say preference towards blacks because then I'm races.I believe that all these concerns could possibly alter the results.
My results were a slight preference for African American people. As a black person I am not surprised at my results. I am constantly around black people so it makes sense that I'd prefer them. I don't feel it makes me a racist I just feel that it told me what I already knew. I have no problems with white people I've just grown to be more comfortable around blacks.
After taking the RACE IAT test i came to the conlusion that i have "a strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American.". My results were the same to those of Emmas and Ashley. I was very shocked when i got these results simply for the fact that i have more African American friends than those of the Europian desent. (white) But i still never thought as myself as ever favoring any other race more than the other. i treat everyone the same but i do tend to hang more around black people instead of white people, but my resluts show otherwise. I hope that my results will change because it does not fully show the "truth"about how i feel.
my results said that i have no perference towards one race over another. i am not surprised by this result because i basically treat all races the same. i hang out with more black people than white people, that does not mean i treat them any different. i treat all races the same, in the sense that i make fun of all races. but it is all harmless. most of it is not meant to hurt anyone, it is just in good fun.
I agree with Efe Osemeha. I also recieved the same results as her, I slightly prefer African Americans over the European American. I am not surprised with these results for three reasons. First of all i am considered to be African American no matter how hard i try to tell people that i am hispanic i cant run away from the fact that my skin color is dark. Second, like Efe i live in a area that is also predominately black, and most of my friends are African American. Lastly, i feel that everyone slightly prefers the race that they are over every other race.
My results from the Race IAT test said that i have a "strong automatic preference for European American compared to African American" like many others in this class. At first i was taken back by this result. I couldn't lead myself to believe that I am racist toward my own race. I have always tried to view everyone equally without basing my opinions about him/her on the color of their skin or their ethnic background. Now I am not completely sold on the idea of me being racist but i do think that these results show that i do tend to be more comfortable around whites than blacks. Even though this may be true I do not believe that it is a "strong" favoritism.
my results stated that the way i feel towards white or blacks is the same. this isn't very shocking to be since i know and am really close with kids of all different cultures if it be white, black, spanish, indian regardless i don't look at people by their race or the color of their skin i look at people for the people that they are which is the way everyone should be, you only live life once why discriminate on others for something like that? i guess some people are just dumb and ignorant anyways yeah... i don't hate as the results show whaddup!
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