Prejudice Test | Racism Test
90Another test from the University of Chicago
The University of Chicago Shooter Test will see your likelihood of shooting someone who could be pulling out a cellphone or a gun, depending on what race they are. Another interesting test.
Am I racist? Take an online test
A comment by elleissa left on this Hub mentioned an online test created by a team at Harvard that looks at a person's automatic biases towards some groups over others. Most of us have automatic, knee-jerk reactions towards different characteristics in people. They have tests for race, sexual orientation, gender, religious background, and even one for the 2008 US presidential nominees.
Here is the link: Project Implicit Demonstration Tests
How the test works
It's a little strange. You are presented with words and images and must with a quick response on your keyboard classify them into two categories. You're given a word like "lovely" and must say quickly if that's a "good" word or a "bad" word. They do the same for images of candidates, people of various races, lesbian brides, etc. I believe they look at your response times (?) to determine how easy it is for you to make certain associations in your head. For example, is "gay" and "good" an easy association to make in your head, or a difficult one?
Results slides
Click thumbnail to view full-size
My results, from 3 tests
Let me first state my identity and preferences:
- I am white but truly, honestly feel I am not prejudiced towards whites or blacks
- I am gay and feel I have a slight preference towards gays (I have nothing against straight people, but unless I know them, I don't know if they're bigoted or not)
- I am a Democrat who is supporting Obama but have a soft spot for Hillary Clinton, who I feel has been unfairly demonized by the media and the broader American public. I like Richardson but never considered him "presidential", and I have always found Edwards to be disingenuous.
So, in light of all this, my results are...interesting. According to the tests, apparently...
- I have a strong automatic preference for African-American over European-American
- I have a strong automatic preference for gay over straight
- I have the strongest positive preference for Obama, then Hillary, then Richardson, and most negative for Edwards
The race one for me is bizarre. I don't feel like I have any self-loathing issues and strongly believe (and know) that there is good and bad in any natural-born population (and in equal numbers). That said, more by accident of circumstance than anything else, my two best friends are both African-American and I do live in Oakland. Maybe I really do hate whitey! (obviously kidding)
The gay vs straight one is less surprising. I have absolutely nothing against straight people...that I know aren't bigoted. But there is always that nervous uncertainty when you don't know how a straight person feels about gay people. I have been surprised before. I'm fortunate that homophobia almost never rears its head in my life currently, although it's hard to not take the debate about gay marriage personally.
The one I think that was eerily accurate was the US presidential nominee one, although I wouldn't have been surprised if Hillary had appeared on top, even ahead of Obama. My primary vote has been a neverending toss-up in my head between Obama & Clinton. I had never warmed up to Edwards (but mostly because his voting record is diametrically opposed to his campaign platform!), so I'm not surprised to see him at the bottom.
Other related tests
- ok cupid - The r.a.c.i.s.m. Test
"this is the racism test, it will hopefully show you that you are not racist, but you never know sometimes the truth hurts..." - okcupid - Am I a religious bigot?
"I'll be using advanced logic and knowledge to determine your true nature. This test is for fun only, don't get offended. And if you do get offended -- too bad. :)" - Blogthings - Are You Homophobic?
Do gay people freak you out? Discover your true feelings about homosexuality.
Project Implicit has a number of other tests too. Here are a few others:
- Are you ageist? (Age IAT)
- Are you anti-Arab or anti-Muslim? (Arab/Muslim IAT)
- Are you anti-fat? (Weight IAT)
- Do you have rigid gender roles? (Gender-career IAT)
- Are you prejudiced against the disabled? (Disability IAT)
- Are you anti-Asian? (Asian IAT)
- Do you have negative associations with religions? (Religion IAT)
- Do you prefer lighter or darker skin tones? (Skin Tone IAT)
All interesting stuff!
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Comments
I was unable to load the test also. Interesting hub though.
Yeah, I just tried it and the site seems to be down. Probably temporary.
I hope the site comes back soon.. Your hub made me want to take the test so much!
This is interesting. I don't think I harbor biases. 1) I grew up in an orphanage with every culture there is
2) I'm a Buddhist who respects all life.
It'd be interesting to see what the tests say in your case, Pat.
The site is back up again.
I am not prejudiced in any way but I believe people have a tendency to prefer their own groups, family and friends etc and this radiates outwards. If your family is all white or all black and so are your friends this does not mean in any way that you are prejudiced even if you prefer the comapny of your own color or sex or race, it is just the way things are, Harvard should spend more time curing cancer and disease or trying to find clean fuel alternatives than trying to presuade people that they may have a prejudice, but thats just my thoughts.
What interesting tests. I felt a bit panicked when taking it, afraid I'd do something "wrong"--but, of course, it isn't that kind of test. I am off to do some of the other tests. Thanks for writing about this.
I think these tests are useful because they point out things to ourselves that we didn't know or expect about ourselves. They're not meant to make anyone feel bad, but just to become more aware.
Singpec476: I think (other) Harvard researchers are working on cancer and disease, too. It's not an either/or sort of thing. :)
Thanks for the link Livelonger, i took the race test and apparently i have no preferences of either african or european Americans, both my timings were almost identical acording to the final report......jimmy
Jimmy, my preferences were about the same too. I am quite white, but I am always working for social justice causes...I think my awareness of social issues in my area played a role in how I tested.
Interesting. My results showed a preference for African-American over European-American. Not sure why. Maybe I was unconsciously compensating so that I wouldn't appear to be prejudiced. Also, there was a learning curve in taking the test which meant that the order of the sets may have influenced the results. I was hitting the buttons a lot faster in the second half and toward the end of the exercise.
Very interesting Hub! I am pretty well even on African & European-Americans which is a little odd as I'm from European background...Taking this test reminded me uncomfortably of the 'angst' that went along with all the school tests....yuk
Great hub regards Zsuzsy
I don't believe I have any prejudices, livelonger. But I haven't taken the test yet. Enjoyed the hub, though, and the comments.
There are tests for these things as well.
The hub is interesting. I would have wanted to know against whom I am prejudiced. The truth is my race is subjected constantly to discrimination but my race are great at discriminating other people too -- within and outside the country.
Interestingly, we do not seem to think that we are being discriminatory. Jests against disabled like cross-eyed people for instance are fairly common. Snide remarks against a particular race living here seems acceptable. But Teri Hatcher said something about the medical schools here in Desperate Housewives and the whole country is in uproar. Ironic.
Very interesting...I would like to take this test....
Everyone is prejudice in there own way...discrimination happens every where....doesn't matter what nationality you are.... The way a person remarks or comments towards another person is the form of being either prej. or disc. Just depends on whose seeing it or how we are seeing it....
I don't need know test to tell me this....I just do my best to not be so judgemental...... Njoy ur life...that s why we r livin it.....
Livelonger .... you cool... so's the rest of you ... L8rz
Not really sure a test is needed to tell me what I think! Am I suddenly going to be surprised and find out something new about myself?
There must surely be a link to events - What did this test show about anti-islam feeling prior to 9/11? What about after?
not taken the test yet-only just stumbled across it --but I think that we all start from some prejudice or other--this I think brought about by our surroundings and the climate we were brought up in as well as those passed on things from our parents
but its all right
its how we deal with them as adults is what matters
This is a great article. The tests sound very interesting. I might check them out.
Thanks!
Livelonger,
Thanks for the fun hub. I got part way through the test and the darn thing locked up - twice. But since I did find it so interesting I'll go back later and try it again.
it's easy to hate whitey sometimes, just think of all the opression! they have climed stairs made out of dead men,women, and children to reach the top! Oh, and by "they," i don't mean me cause I'm female AND irish!
racism - the issue is being demonized more than necessary and more so by the white media. why is the term "racism" being villianised? i am not black - nor white, but i too call a white man whitey and a black man blackey! Racism comes into picture when equal opportunities are not provided. poverty and racism are not same...and poverty for the coloured people will never be eliminated because poor people form a different vote bank. Its not just the case in States. its everywhere, world over. minorities are kept just that, as minorities, to be an easily identiifiable vote bank. the only universal discrimination that should be addressed is against women...but men in all their wiliness will never admit that, and women with their soft hearted gullibility always fall prey (britney spears, elliot spitzer, etc etc) - maybe i shd hv made this a hub!
Great hub! I'm off to try the tests myself. I really liked how you shared your own results and offered a comparison with your RL-self; shows there is some validity to the testing.
Well, this kind of tests are available is a surprise for me too and so tried to get it but unable to get some how! I don't know the reason but i can't open it!
I think that this kind of tecnique is used for social studies and at some extent its usefullness ends with limitations! Because of CAREFULL ANSWERING IS POSSIBLE AFTER READING AND THINKING TO SAVE THE SKIN FROM ANY KIND OF LEBELS!
I have taken all tests and am compaitable with all. Best of luck!
Nice HUB. Racism is one of the subjects I HUB about. I'd like to introduce HUBBERS to an educated opposite to racism http://www.LEARNspreadtheword.com Best of Luck. Look forward to seeing more of your HUBS. - Thanks, David
Racism is definitely a subject that needs to be discussed by all,the world would be a much better place without it,but racism has been so intertwined into the fabric of society especially in America, that I don't see it going away any time soon.The more we communicate with each other the more we'll learn that we're all merely different shades of one race, the human race.
I'm not a racist
I have been living in Japan a long time as a foreigner and so feel I am able to relate / empathise with those who feel they have been effected by racism. One interesting observation here in Japan within the "foreign community" is that there is very little of the home grown racism evident. We are all, black, white, yellow, gay, straight, whatever but we are all carrying the same tag "foreigner" and so we just get on with each other and enjoy each others company. I see we judge the single person sitting beside us by what they do to us and nothing else. Kind of weird ? Kind of cool if you ask me.
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Ralph Deeds says:
6 months ago
For some reason I was unable to open the link to the prejudice test.