Explicit Control of Implicit Responses: Simple Directives can alter IAT Performance.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Implicit prejudice refers to unconscious biases towards racial groups.
• The race Implicit Association Test (IAT) is a common tool for measuring these biases.
• Previous research suggests implicit biases may be malleable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether explicit instructions can alter implicit racial bias.
• To examine the impact of promoting and inhibiting pressures on race IAT scores.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted using the race Implicit Association Test (IAT).
• Study 1: Participants received explicit instructions to stereotype.
• Study 2: Participants received explicit instructions to avoid stereotyping.

Main Results:

• In Study 1, instructions to stereotype increased pro-White bias on the IAT.
• In Study 2, instructions to avoid stereotyping reduced pro-White bias on the IAT.
• Both studies demonstrated that implicit racial responses can be altered by salient pressures.

Conclusions:

• Implicit prejudice is amenable to voluntary control.
• Simple, direct instructions can effectively modify implicit racial biases.
• Findings highlight the potential for interventions to reduce racial prejudice.