Learning activity Term Paper
Test for Hidden Bias The Implicit Association Test, tests for unconscious biases. I chose this learning activity to see if I have any hidden biases. I have always believed that I was a straight shooter never putting on a facade or giving a false presentation of myself. To prepare for taking this activity, I made sure that I was in a quiet room, away from any distractions. I concentrated on each activity as they appeared on my computer screen. I chose six categories to test on; race, sexual identity, age, gender, body image, and religion. The results were not very shocking except in the gender category, but first let me share the other results. I am a male, 62 years old, white, retired and educated. First test was for race and the result was that I have a strong automatic preference for European American. A little surprising since I always considered myself open minded. The next test was on sexual identity and the result is that I have a strong preference for straight people. The next test was on age and the result was that I have a moderate preference for young people. Next was gender and the result was that I have a slight association for female with science and male with liberal arts. In body image I have a strong implicit preference for thin people. In religion I am in the middle with Christianity. The disclaimer read "please understand that these test are purely for entertainment only". However the results were very close to what I believe to be me. I would like to explain 2 categories sexual identity and gender. Sexual identity stated I preferred thin people over fat people. For me there are two categories of fat people, fat and obese. I prefer fat people over obese people. Fat people normally feel comfortable with themselves. There is too thin and there is to fat. My wife of 41 years is 5’7” and weighs 125lbs. I am 5’9” and weigh 190 lbs. I consider my wife to be at the proper weight and for myself, well let’s just say I could lose about 30 lbs. Gender is a little bit difficult to explain. I believe there are more women in science and more men in liberal arts. Years ago that was not the case. Women generally held positions as nurses, teachers and secretaries and men held positions as scientist, professors and doctors. Today it is about equal. More women have taken careers as scientist and men took assumed more roles in liberal arts. I am not saying that men are better teachers or secretaries. There was a role reversal. Women are more engaged in science and medicine because for years women have been going to male doctors for routine examinations. For some it made them uncomfortable. Some of these young girls decided right there and then that they would become