IMPLICIT BIAS AND THE CORRESPONDING EFFECTS ON FALSE MEMORIES

Abstract

This study explored relationships among implicit bias in memory. Using the Correll, Park, Judd, & Wittenbring, (2002) videogame, participants decided to either shoot or not shoot avatars at random, based on if the avatar was armed or unarmed in order to capture the effect of ethnicity and perceived danger. In past literature participants demonstrate implicit bias by “shooting” an armed African American avatar more quickly in comparison to European American avatars, and “not shooting” unarmed avatars more quickly if he was European American. This study did not replicate those findings, and instead found that participants’ accuracy varied on what the avatar was holding independent of race. To demonstrate racial implicit associations may result in identification errors, participants read a narrative adapted from Helm, Ceci, and Burd (2016). The findings within this study did not find a significant variation in group means, based on the analysis of memory in the narrative.