Measuring and changing implicit social cognition Frank Siebler

Measuring and changing implicit social cognition

Frank Siebler

Overview

• What is "implicit social cognition"?

• Recent and planned applications

Introduction

Perception Behavior

Explicit cognition

Implicit cognition

Theoretical background

Introduction


• Explicit cognition: "Cognition that we are aware of"- conscious operation- self-report possible- direct measurement (e.g., questionnaire)

• Implicit cognition: "Cognition that we are not aware of"- pre-conscious operation- self-report not possible- indirect measurement (e.g., response times)

Introduction


• Let me illustrate this with an example ...• ... introducing a measure of implicit cognition at the same

time ...• ... here: ingroup attitudes (Norwegians' attitude towards Norwegians)

Introduction

PLEASANT

or

NORWEGIAN

UNPLEASANT

Press "D" if ... Press "K" if ...

Introduction

PLEASANT

or

NORWEGIAN

UNPLEASANT

Press "D" if ... Press "K" if ...

Words shown here, e.g.:

" Frida "" Evil "" Halvor "" Love "...

Introduction

PLEASANT UNPLEASANT

or

NORWEGIAN

Press "D" if ... Press "K" if ...New instructions

Introduction

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Accuracy (% correct)

"Norwegian or Pleasant""Norwegian or Unpleasant"

0100200300400500600700800900

100011001200

Response time (ms)

"Norwegian or Pleasant"

"Norwegian or Unpleasant"

Data from: Trine Bekkmo & Linda Amundsen (2008, BA thesis)

~175 ms faster for "Norw. or Pleasant"~90% correct in both conditions

Introduction

Perception Behavior

Explicit cognition

Implicit cognition

Introduction

Perception Behavior

Explicit cognition

IF pleasant word OR Norwegian name THEN press "D"

IF unpleasant word OR Norwegian name THEN press "K"

Implicit cognition

Explicit cognition: rule application

Introduction

Perception Behavior

Explicit cognition

Halvor

Unpleasant

Love

Pleasant

Frida

Norwegian

Evil



Implicit cognition: spreading activation

Introduction

Perception Behavior

Explicit cognition

Halvor

Unpleasant

Love

Pleasant

Frida

Norwegian

Evil



175 ms response time difference due to this link

Introduction

Why is the distinction important?

• Explicit cognition and implicit cognition differ w.r.t.:

- the kinds of behaviors they predict(implicit cognition predicts spontaneous and unreflected behavior)

- the environmental stimuli they respond to(implicit cognition is sensitive to unattended and subliminal stimuli)

- the details of learning and information processing(e.g., implicit cognition does not understand negations)

- etc.

Introduction

My research plan

• Measure the strength of associations (to predict behavior better)

• Change the strength of associations (to change behavior)

• Investigate interaction of explicit and implicit cognition

Research plan

Measurement, previous work

• Measures of explicit vs. implicit evaluation often differ

• Example: the "education effect" (higher education => less prejudice)

• MA thesis Mikael Sømhovd: asked attitudes towards immigrants ...- both explicitly (questionnaire) and implicitly (response times)

- from construction workers and academics

Research plan

Figure 1 from: Mikael Sømhovd (2009, MA thesis)

Explicit attitude: education effect present

Workers Academics

Self-reported attitude towards

immigrants

positive

negative

Research plan

Figure 2 from: Mikael Sømhovd (2009, MA thesis)

Implicit attitude: education effect absent

Workers Academics

Response facilitation

for "Pleasant

or ..."

"Norwegian"

"Immigrant"

Research plan

Measurement, ongoing and future work

• Application to- health-related behavior (PhD project Hildegunn Nordtug)

- consumer choice (PhD project Kjærsti Thorsteinsen)

- intergroup attitudes (various BA projects)

• Focus on- incremental prediction of behavior (over and above questionnaire)

- refinement of measurement instruments

Research plan

Change, previous work

• Explicit and implicit cognition operate differently

• Example: First impressions (MA thesis Laila Martinussen)

• Step 1: Repeated learning of information, e.g."Anne is hungry.""Hansen is rich.""If someone is hungry and rich, she is a career woman."

[ among many others; all in random order ]

• Step 2: Intuitive ratings, e.g."Is Anne Hansen a career woman?"

Research plan

Simulation result

Computer simulation of implicit cognition:More practice (in Step 1) => reversal (in Step 2)

Research plan

Simulation result Laboratory result

-4

0

4

1x 2x 4x 8x

Learning frequency (Step 1)T

ypic

ality

rat

ing

(Ste

p 2)

Laboratory:Reversal observed

Research plan

Change, ongoing and future work

• Currently using "laboratory stereotypes"- stereotype creation (semesteroppgave Leif-Ole Haagensen)

- long-term stability of change (upcoming PhD project, N. N.)

• Focus on unattended information- subliminal stimulus presentation- effortless learning and processing

Research plan

Interaction of explicit and implicit cognition, future wrk.

• Application to- work-like settings (VERDIKT proposal)

• Focus on- effectiveness (does subliminal presentation "work" in the context of a

demanding foreground task?)

- interference (does subliminal presentation "disturb" the foreground task?)

- methods for non-psychologists (engineers) to measureboth

Summary

My research plan, review

• Measure the strength of associations (to predict behavior better)

• Change the strength of associations (to change behavior)

• Investigate interaction of explicit and implicit cognition

Documents

Measuring and changing implicit social cognition Frank Siebler