Havard

The Harvard- Hosted Implicit Association Test (IAT)

The result of my IAT was the data suggested that I have a strong automatic preference for the age group compared for the young and the old... I do not feel that the test accurately depicts my usual opinion of the ages of groups for several reasons. I feel that the test initially gets you to respond to the prompt of younger groups are good and older bad. This is a suggestive framework for responding and it was difficult to get out of that mindset when told to switch.

There were also other subtle differences in the pictures of the people. The older people appeared to have a sad profile in their pictures while the younger people profiles were very uplifted to see. The younger people appeared to be attractive while the some of the older people appeared to be posing for mug shots. All of the younger people made eye contact but not all of the older people did.

I feel that if the test had used people who had similar characteristics as mentioned above it would be a more accurate test and the results would be more valid.

I feel that it is difficult to accurately measure of criticizes because someone may not feel that they are criticizing but have difficulty switching mindsets when taking this test. It was difficult for me to switch good and bad with older and younger, and I don't feel that this test accurately depicts how I interact on a day to day basis with the gounp of people. Sometimes I feel that I go out of my way to make conversation with older people more than other people do. I have several friends who are older then me and I don't think that they would consider me to be to younger to hang out with them.

I would think that sociologists could use this tool if the pictures were similar in composition and character. I like this style of test, I just wish that you weren't geared to good and bad with black and white and then asked to switch. I think that this creates a false positive.