Module1

The implicit association tests that I completed were the Light Skin-Dark Skin IAT and Religions IAT. Since I have taken a different form of these implicit associations tests before, I knew what to expect and could somewhat predict the results before completing each tests. Even though I had completed a form of these tests before, it was still an eye opening experience because it allowed me to reflect on my own personal biases. At the end of each test, I looked at the nationally average percent of responses  and was not really surprised by the findings because it seems as though the responses reflect main stream societal views. The media perpetuates a lot of ideas that shape everyone's perspectives. Even the most self-reflective and  culturally diverse person is unconsciously swayed by what the media presents, and will most likely fall into the percentage of the majority of responses.

Associations and memory are related, and in fact, go hand-in-hand. I don't believe that you can have memory without association because memory is built around associations. When recalling a specific memory in my early childhood, I am able to remember the event because it produced an emotion which is now associated with the childhood event.

I believe our associations have an impact on our future behaviors as is typically demonstrated by the implicit associations test. This is something that has been researched for many years. A classic example that comes to my mind is Little Albert and John Watson. Watson took a little boy and presented him with a furry rabbit, which the little boy enjoyed until Watson created an 'association'. When Little Albert was presented with the rabbit, Watson rang a loud bell which startled Little Albert and made him cry. Watson repeatedly did this until he only presented Little Albert with the rabbit. With no surprise, at the sight of the rabbit, a once playful boy who loved the rabbit, was now terribly afraid. Why? Because Little Albert 'associated' the rabit with a loud unpleasant sound and therefore, no longer wanted to play with it. With that being said, it could almost be safe to say that our future behaviors depend on our associations.