20/04/2009 / RACISM
Image by "Trysk".
These tests are interesting because they tend to reveal stereotypes. In general, they are quite reliable because if one fails to answer quickly enough, the test is cancelled within a few milliseconds. Scientists have devised a system that calculates your average speed over the first few seconds. Any change of pace over the rest of the questionnaire is then easily detected.
Black or white? Which do you prefer?
Despite being boycotted by several countries, the UN convention on racism opens in Geneva on Monday. A hard topic to tackle; racism exists under many forms, in every continent, and to varying degrees. But how do you know if you're racist?
Harvard University's online Implicit Associations Test, developed in 1998 and updated for the US elections 2008, claims to scientifically measure your racist tendencies. After selecting your home country, a tutorial presents the questionnaire. Test takers have to tick faces by labelling them with a ‘good' or ‘bad', and in the quickest time possible.
It's a highly controversial method. It cannot distinguish how the person behaves in reality and cannot take into account whether the time delay is due to a hatred of minorities or a guilty conscience towards them. With a bit of training, it can easily be manipulated.
Contributors
And you, are you racist?
Click on the picture below to have a go at the test. Choose a country, the specific discrimination you want judged (age, gender, race) and launch the questionnaire.
Once you're finished, let us know what you thought - and whether or not you're satisfied with your own results!
"The less time you have to answer the less there is left for political correctness"
Jean-François Amadieu is a professor of Management Sciences at the University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne, where he also heads the Discriminations Observatory. He has produced a number of tests similar to Harvard's.
These tests are interesting because they tend to reveal stereotypes. In general, they are quite reliable because if one fails to answer quickly enough, the test is cancelled within a few milliseconds. Scientists have devised a system that calculates your average speed over the first few seconds. Any change of pace over the rest of the questionnaire is then easily detected.
The idea is that the less time you have to answer the less there is left for political correctness. The AIT (Associations Implicit Tests) encourage spontaneity. Explicit tests, on the other hand, tend to allow too much time to reflect. But it's important to know that the tests put on line by Harvard are only trials. The full test is longer and much more complex.
The results can be useful to researchers specialised in stereotyping, but also to those people who might be unaware that they are spreading certain stereotypes. They can also be used by employers keen to be more objective. Indeed, the test can help you determine how prejudice might influence your choice of employee someone - for instance how you react to a name or a physical trait - and therefore address the problem."
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Comments
You idiot french people!
Submitted by Chinese living in Libreville, Gabon (not verified) on Tue, 28/04/2009 - 02:36.French people are really idiots. I came to realize that french people are the most racists people in Europe. They are very well known as being arogants, impulsives, egomanics, stuck in the anal phase and self centered.The reason you french people are so indulge into race is because you have a low selfeteem of yourselves. What are you trying to achive with this article? When you get the results, what are you going to do with it?
French people are full of garbagges! the whole world knows about you . Why can you french people get a life and do something possitive for the human society? you are so childlike everytime you open your mouth or put up something or want to disscuss about adult stuffs!
This whole racist attitude in french people is being seen through your actual president. He acts racist and he speaks like a racist!
Two years ago your president went to Dakar, Senegal and gave one of the most racist speach ever been given by a president.
I will ask you the contributor to study your president and you will have your answer about racism! The whole world knows your president(Sarkosy) is racist!
I think what you should do is to focus on him and study him, you will get the best response ever. By the way, you french people need to grow up and contribute to the advancement of the human society rather than getting stuck in the "anal phase" of the emotional maturity.
Chinese, from Libreville, gabon
Unregistered user
You are absolutely correct!
Submitted by South african (not verified) on Tue, 28/04/2009 - 02:58.I aggree with your comment! It is becoming abvious that most people around the world are now coming to terms with french people. They are actually stacked in the anal phase of growth. Everytime a french man or woman speak, you can tell that their social behaviors is very poor.
This is epitomized by their president Sarkosy. I think he is one of the most racist president in the world today. The racist speach he gave in Dakar, Senegal says it all!
The contributor to this article needs to put his focus on his president. I bet he will get alot of response rather than focusing on this nonsense study.This Harvard study is money lost. It could have been used for something better. What do we see from this french sociologist? a childish stuffs!
I trully beleive that one day french people will grow up. I don't think they are a lost cause. Hopefully, the society will benefit when that happens.
Peace from South Africa
Unregistered user