Harvard.edu has all these Implicit Association Tests up that are supposed to determine what you subconsciously or implicitly believe and think. I took a lot of them, starting with two about the current presidential candidates. It turns out that I don't implicitly prefer either Obama or McCain. That is the first thing I learned about myself, and it's obviously not an insightfully interesting fact. What was much more interesting was how "American" and Christian I found the candidates.
"Your data suggests a much stronger automatic association between Christian and Barack Obama, compared to John McCain
Your data suggests a moderately stronger automatic association between American and Barack Obama, compared to John McCain"
You see that MUCH STRONGER automatic association? That's the highest it goes. The results range from strong, moderate, slight, no, slight, moderate, strong. Ok, the website explains it better. It says this, "Depending on the magnitude of your result, your automatic associations may be described as 'slight', 'moderate', 'strong', or 'little to no preference or difference in association'. How implicit associations affect our judgments and behaviors is not well understood and may be influenced by a number of variables. As such, the score should serve as an opportunity for self-reflection, not as a definitive assessment of your implicit thoughts or feelings. This and future research will clarify the way in which implicit thinking and feelings affects our perception, judgment, and action. If you have any questions about this study or if you would like to find out the overall results, please email feedback@projectimplicit.net."
The Obama Christian thing makes a lot of sense because his Reverend was broadcast all over the media for like EVER and I've never heard anything about McCain's religion like at all. The American thing is the weird one. McCain is the one who always brags about being a POW and what not. . . But whatever, this is just how I implicitly feel about the candidates.
Onto Race: My data suggests a slight automatic preference for European Americans compared to African Americans. So, that's not good, but it's only slight.
OK, so I like white people better than black people, but also. . . "Your data suggest a slight association of White Americans with Weapons compared to Black Americans." Does it then follow that I like weapons!? I don't think I like weapons, but I associate white people slightly with weapons and I slightly prefer white people to black people. . . hmmm. . . whatever.
Ok, so combining this race thing with the American thing, this is what I found:
"Your data suggest little or no association between White Am. and Native Am. with Foreign and American." and "Your data suggest a strong association of Asian American with American and European American with Foreign compared to European American with American and Asian American with Foreign."
A STRONG ASSOCIATION WITH ASIAN AMERICANS AND AMERICAN SYMBOLS. That is the result that only 2% of the people who took the test got. Does it come from being in love with Tabby Cat? No, I think this test was flawed. They only showed Asian people and white people and almost all of the foreign images were from Europe. Well, I certainly don't associate Asian people with Europe and I certainly do associate white people with Europe. . . I associate them both with U.S. America though. . . So, you see what I mean, right? Most people who took this test musta just been confused about the world in general to associate Asian people with European images . . . but whatever.
Ok, so now onto the homophobic bit. My data suggested a moderate automatic preference for gay people compared to straight people. Does this make me heterophobic? Am I so obsessed with social change that I am just drawn to people who face injustice? (No, that is contrary to my slight liking of white people over black people.) I do give money to Human Rights Campaign every month. . . their newsletters musta gotten to my subconscious.
On to sexism. . . "Your data suggest little or no association between Male and Female with Career and Family" So look, I'm not sexist. . . or AM I? My data ALSO suggests a moderate association of Male with Science and Female with Liberal Arts compared to Female with Science and Male with Liberal Arts. I DON'T THINK WOMEN CAN BE SCIENTISTS!!??? I'm a bad person I guess.
However, I am not antisemitic. I actually like Jewish people better than people of other religions. Like 17% of test takers, "Your data suggest a moderate automatic preference for Judaism compared to Other Religions."
Also, I like older people slightly more than young people and thin people moderately more than fat people. I blame my mother for this last point.
OK, that is all. Search Implicit Association Test, and Harvard and the tests will come up. They are a superfun waste of time.
Love Calla and her kitties and her subconcious
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