Implicit Association Test

When waiting for a movie to begin, it is common to see advertisements for the soda, popcorn, and candy you passed by (or bought) in the lobby. Whether you are paying attention to the advertisement or are talking to a companion, the pairing of ice-cold containers of soda with other attractive images and sounds establishes an association between “soda” and “good” in your mind. In the theater and beyond, the mind is constantly gathering information from the social environment and creating, revising, and reinforcing associations in memory. The mind is so prolific at forming these associations that it may do so even if you would rather not have them.

Keywords: automatic; implicit attitudes; associations