Implicit Association Tests (IATs) are tests that measure how strongly different concepts are linked in the brain. A user’s implicit bias is revealed when an IAT shows that a group of people is associated with a negative concept in the user’s mind (e.g., “gay” with “immoral”). For example, as shown in Figure 1.25, in an IAT for LGBTQ bias, test takers see “gay” and “straight” images (Screens 1 and 2, respectively). They must press a key that associates each image with opposing terms: “good” or “bad.” In this case, the IAT measures the amount of time, in seconds, it takes for the user to choose whether the “gay” and “straight”

images match with “good” or “bad.” In this section of the test, if the user matches “straight” images with “good” more quickly than “gay” images with

“good” (and “gay” images more quickly with “bad” than “straight” images with

“bad), this may indicate implicit bias because it shows that the person may make automatic connections between “straight” and “good,” and “gay” and “bad.”

A researcher wants to use the IAT to test whether sexual identity is related to implicit LGBTQ bias. She hypothesizes that LGBTQ people will have less LGBTQ bias than straight people.

a. What is the independent variable? How is it measured? What is its level of measurement?

b. What is the dependent variable? How is it measured? What is its level of measurement?