The IAT test I took looked at whether I implicitly associate exercise with positivity or negativity. Going into it, I asked myself if I knew the answer to this question. I would think I associate exercise with positivity because for the most part, I like to exercise because it keeps me healthy, makes me feel good, and is a way I like to relieve stress. At the same time, there are many times that I dread going to the gym, but I go because I know I’ll feel better after. Just today, I really didn’t want to go to my workout class, because I was feeling tired and stressed about the work I have coming up. I went, partly because they’d charge me if I didn’t, but also because I knew I’d feel more focussed and less stressed. Now, here I am sitting at my desk doing some homework.

After taking the test, my results were that I implicitly associate exercise with positivity. While I believe this to be true for the most part, I’m not a huge fan of these tests. I’ve taken them in high school and last years psychology classes, and every time I feel like I am trying to be tricked. I also know how these tests work by now, so I can see where they are calculating the results. The first IAT test I took was in my high school psychology class and it was about if I liked old people. It asked me questions about older people’s health, moods, etc. Just because I had answered that yes, older people’s health deteriorate, and some old people can be cranky, I was told I have an implicit bias against old people. I know this to be false, but the test only knows what I answered. I think these tests are a good starting point, but they are not getting the full picture.