Reflection On IAT Scores

When I first learned that I would have to complete multiple IAT tests, I automatically had an idea of what I thought my scores were going to be for each test. For all of the tests, I assumed that I would receive a score of moderate preference. I especially assumed that I would receive a score of moderate preference on the Race IAT test because that was the score that I had received when I took the same test last year. Turns out, I received a moderate preference score on the Gender- Career and Age IAT tests, and a strong preference score on the Race, and Disability IAT tests. I think when I first found out that I had received a score of strong preference on the Race and Disability IAT tests I was at first very shocked and confused about …show more content…
Then I started to really analyze and ask myself why I would receive a strong preference score towards race and disability and after some deep thinking, I came up with some conclusions, and had a “wow that makes total sense” moment. In general, although I did not initially agree with the all of my test results, they do indeed make sense, and now I agree with all of them. I think one of the most important things that I learned from my IAT scores was that even though I am very friendly towards everybody, and like to consider myself to be a very open minded, and a nonjudgmental person, I still have inward prejudice and certain feelings towards race and disability. I don’t necessarily believe that our in class discussions changed the way I look at bias, but the discussions for sure made me realize and highlighted that you can have natural and automatic biases based off of experience and society. Basically, everyone can have biases that they might not …show more content…
Age wise, older people might think that I am immature, unwise, dependent, brainwashed by technology, indecisive, and impulsive. Sex wise, people might think that just because I am a female that I am weak, emotional, overbearing, that I should not be educated, that I should dress modestly, that I should not express my sexual desires, that I am nothing but a pretty face, that I am just a sexual object, and that I cannot do what men can. Racially, because I am black, people think I’m uneducated, violent, unworthy, unreliable, lazy, untrustworthy, that I am on welfare, that I live in the inner city, that I am a criminal, and that I don’t belong here in America, and that I don’t deserve to be treated like a human. I think that these sort of biases come from personal experiences, the news, and just culture in general. If anyone said these things about me either directly to me or to someone else, I would be very hurt, angry, and upset, and I would definitely want to try and change that person’s perception about