This has been plugged on a number of blogs, but here’s another plug if you haven’t seen it mentioned yet – Andrew Leigh and his ANU colleague Alison Booth are conducting research on racial attitudes in Australia, and would be really grateful if people took the time (about ten minutes) to complete the Implicit Associations Test. You can also enter your email address if you’d like to receive a copy of the study.
26 Responses to “Racial attitudes research”
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You’re not wrong. This has been plugged on so many of the blogs I read that I’m starting to think I’ve found my way to the very centre of the echo chamber. (Not a complaint, BTW.)
I did the test too and it turns out I have a slight bias toward Italians over Anglo-Saxons. Weird since I’m not Italian, nor have I ever been there. As it suggests I should for a strange result, I’ll be doing it again.
Muchos gracias Mark – and thanks to those who’ve taken the time to do the test.
Simon, apologies if you’ve seen it before – but hopefully there are LP’ers who don’t read those other blogs that have mentioned it.
I wonder (should Andrew return) if the order of presentation gets switched around.
I found it quite an effort to unlearn the pattern established in the first iteration.
[sorry those of you who haven't done it - you'll see what I mean]
Nonetheless, I apparently “prefer” Aboriginal names to Anglo-saxon ones.
*cough*
Hi Andrew, my screen froze when it came to submitting results. how long is that supposed to take?
I’m wondering if it’s Firefox unfriendly. I got a screen freeze as soon as the test itself started.
I certainly do not read any “these other blogs”. I’m with Someone Else Entirely, unlearning the first established pattern was the dominant effort of the test, though by then I WAS into the swing of the test, & trying to answer faster (to get it over with).
Apparently I have “little to no” preference for indigenous names over anglo-saxon. Though I didn’t immediately recognise some of the “indigenous” names as such.
Kim – worked fine with firefox3 for me.
I did it, twice, and got told I had a slight bias towards chinese names the first, and italian names the second.
I think it might have something to do with the choice of keys on the keyboard. I found it difficult both times to work out how to place my hands to hit the keys with equal swiftness, and I spend all day typing.
two letters closer together would be much better, given they want you to go as fast as you can.
I was usung Safari. Perhaps I’ll try with Firefox as an experiment.
FDB I believe the patterning and the expectations it establishes are part of the test’s method.
I’m surprised and a bit amused that a test about names can be called a test about racial attitudes. It should really be called a test about names.
Well, it was fine with Firefox. I agree Laura. It seems more to be about names than attitudes.
Like one of those names was Phillip Kelly, which just makes me think of The Australian.
“FDB I believe the patterning and the expectations it establishes are part of the test’s method.”
Sure, but you won’t understand how they work unless you reverse the order half the time.
Well, I think it’s pretty dodgy research anyway, so yeah
And they must be administering half of them one way and half the other, that’s a given.
I thought so, but anecdotally it would seem everyone who got Aboriginal vs Anglosaxon names had Aboriginal associated with “bad” first, then the other way second.
I agree it tests nothing much anyway. I’m a big fan of Scandinavian people, culture and politics, but their names shit me to tears.
I gave up after a couple of Irish names were called Anglo-Saxon
Fine @ 12 – people do make judgements about people’s racial background based on their names and make assumptions based on just that though. According to one relative you can see the relief on some patient’s faces and some even verbally express their relief when they realise she is caucasian as her name would suggest otherwise.
Isn’t this research from the same bloke who reckoned the baby bonus was making heavily pregnant women hang on to their unborn children for long enough to collect the higher amount?
I’d counter that (on the basis of pure brainfart) with the argument that perhaps the test assesses the extent to which we see ‘the other’ as alien or simply different. It doesn’t gauge adherence to racist philosophies but seeks to eek out latent prejudices that run counter to a conscious opinion of ethnic equality. Distinction between ethnicity is still basic to us. And on that note I’d like to point out to the designers that names like ‘Kelly’ and ‘Kennedy’ are not Anglo-Saxon. Just sayin’.
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Apparently I haven’t got any bias towards or against British/Eire, Chinese or Italian names. But of course Canadians are evil.
From my results on this, apparently I have a slight bias against Italian names (or whatever the form of words was), because of delays when the categories of racial origin and good/bad were conflated. The delays, of course, were from “WTF? They’re saying Italians are good and Anglos are bad? Or what?” – in other words, confusion until I worked out what was going on.
I’m not inclined to take it seriously.
I have a slight preference for Anglo Saxons over Italians. Which is a surprise. I like all Italians, except one.
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one.
“You have little to no automatic preference for Anglo-Saxon names compared to Chinese names.”
No, but slap up some uber-boring Anglo Proddy Hun name like ‘Andrew Leigh’ and watch me swing hard to the Orient.