[인지신경과학] 내가 해본 IAT (Old-Young)

  I took a Age (‘Young-Old’) IAT and my result was ‘Your data suggest a moderate automatic preference for Young compared to Old.’  This result came from my responses which were faster when Young faces and Good words were classified with the same key than when Old faces and Good words were classified with the same key. My data is belonged to the second criteria whose percent is 29%.

  In this short experiment, the RT(Response Time) is the important factor for knowing our implicit memory. When a certain stimulus is presented, and when it asks us to make a decision quickly, we could response quickly and accurately for stuff which we know well then response automatically. On the other hand, if the experimental questions ask us to response slow enough, we could make a deep thought and consciously manage the stimulus, so the RT cannot be the meaningful factor. The same thing can be applied to this experiment. We may know some associations (between ‘Young or Old features’ and ‘Good or Bad words’) well than the other by numerous kinds of learning. In the experimental session I was asked to response quickly as possible as I can, so I didn’t have time to think about the above versus feature. It means I acted automatically and then the result (RT) can be interpreted as indirect or implicit memory of mine.

  In fact, I showed faster response to ‘Young-Good’ association than ‘Old-Good’ association as well as slower response to ‘Young-Bad’ association than ‘Old-Bad’ association. It can be interpreted I learned more and know more about ‘Young-Good’ associations or ‘Old-Bad’ association through many kinds of things and mechanisms which would be implicit or indirect so I could respond fast and correctly although I was under pressure of fast performance.

  Because I learned and know more so we can interpret all those results can be related to familiarity. But this familiarity may be evoked by criteria specificity. I don’t know such a term really exist but we can detect face of similar aged person faster and easily like monkey can detect monkey’s face more easily and fast than the human face. (In this situation, suppose we think young person and old person as different criteria) Also we generally process positive information faster than negative. In this regard, fast response to Young-Good stimulus is not because frequent association learning but because some tendencies.

  The researchers already considered not only the above things but also the order of presenting stimulus, left-right handed, and other external factors. (I was really interested in their delicate manipulation!!) Add to the previous fact, the result that the elderly didn’t show faster response to Old-Good stimulus means this experiment show implicit association response. (Young is good and nice old is bad and unhappy.)