[links]

[wispfox]

Fascinating link from dancingwolfgrrl, Implicit Association Test, where it attempts to sneakily figure out if you have implicit associations about various things.

Comments

[leiacat.livejournal.com]

Having played with that quite a bit a while ago, I have for the most part discovered that I have a "preference" for the first combination of patterns that I'm given in each test, and it took me extra time to overwrite the first association-set. I am not inclined to take it too seriously.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

"preference" for the first combination of patterns that I'm given in each test, and it took me extra time to overwrite the first association-set.

Yep, I started noticing that, myself.

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

They do attempt to counterbalance that by counterchanging the order of things; everyone will have a slight preference for the association they've just learned (the first one they are presented); they account for this to a certain extent.

It's an interesting, and reasonably-well documented result, that you can get cognitive dissonance (and therefore slightly slower reaction times) from grouping things you find dissimilar. Stroop tests -- like "read the *colors* of this text: " -- are an extreme example of this. Extrapolating "you find it hard to associate Rich and Black" from this is a bit more dodgy, however.

I need a brain icon.

[leiacat.livejournal.com]

I am certainly not arguing that the associations exist; I am, however, wholly unconvinced that this testset does an adequate job of compensating for other factors. What little I've seen of it, the results seem fairly bogus to me.

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they use some algorithm to compensate to some extent. Interesting anyway, even if not a totally valid measure :)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Brains!

(ok, not quite what you meant. ;)

[dragontdc.livejournal.com]

I also found it more a test of ability to learn new reaction patterns than any sort of real preference. The learning curve weights the test heavily in favor of the first subject presented because when testing for the second, one must unlearn the first reaction and learn the new one.

The test is worthless.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Yep, I noticed that, in my brief explorations.

So, the results are likely worthless, but it's a fascinating example of what areas people think there is likely to be hidden bias. ;)