Implicit and Explicit Attitudes and Interracial Interaction: The Moderating Role of Situationally Available Control Resources

Abstract

The present research examined whether implicit and explicit racial attitudes predict interracial interaction behavior differently as a function of situationally available control resources. Specifically, we investigated how implicit attitudes (Implicit Association Test) and explicit attitudes (Blatant/Subtle prejudice) were related to interracial interaction behaviors of Italians toward an African interviewer (Study 1) and of Germans toward a Turkish interviewer (Study 2). For half of the interview questions, participants' control resources were reduced via a memory task. Across both studies, the Race IAT was more predictive of behavior when participants were taxed than when untaxed. Conversely, explicit attitudes were somewhat more predictive under full resources. Taken together, our findings suggest that available control resources moderate the predictive validity of implicit and explicit attitudes.

Explicit- and Implicit Bullying Attitudes in Relation to Bullying Behavior

“…For example, as inhibition underlies deliberate, controlled process, it could be that an extreme negative explicit bullying attitude is related to a strong motivation to inhibit implicit bullying attitudes. As found in aggression related research (Hofmann et al 2008;Wiers et al 2009), this strong inhibition would control implicit bullying attitudes and therefore weaken the influence of these implicit bullying attitudes on bullying behavior. For less extreme values of the explicit bullying attitudes, it could be that the amount of inhibition is low in which case implicit bullying attitudes, in addition to explicit bullying attitudes, could predict bullying behavior.…”

“…These models also assume that behavior is caused by the interplay of these two kinds of processes and attitudes (Evans 2008;Gawronski and Bodenhausen 2006;Smith and DeCoster 2000). Dual-process models have gained wide support in various areas of psychology, including research on aggression (e.g., Hofmann et al 2008).…”

“…The question then arises whether another factor could add to the prediction of bullying behavior. We expect that implicit bullying attitudes could be an additional factor explaining bullying given their relevance for related behaviors, such as aggression (Gollwitzer et al 2007;Hofmann et al 2008;Wiers et al 2009). Furthermore, as bullying is considered to be socially unacceptable behavior, explicit bullying attitudes could be more influenced or controlled by factors such socially desirable answering (Nosek 2005) than implicit bullying attitudes.…”

“…For example, in a study on interracial interactions it was found that for low levels of inhibition, implicit racial attitudes predicted interracial interactions and for high levels of inhibition, explicit racial attitudes predicted these interactions (e.g., the competitiveness of the confederate reported by the participants, and the talkativeness of the participant; Hofmann et al 2008). Executive control processes, including inhibition, are part of the reflective system, which also includes explicit attitudes (Hofmann et al 2008). Under low executive control, reflective processing breaks down and impulsive processes, including implicit attitudes "take over" and predict behavior (e.g., Hofmann et al 2008;Wiers et al 2009).…”

“…Executive control processes, including inhibition, are part of the reflective system, which also includes explicit attitudes (Hofmann et al 2008). Under low executive control, reflective processing breaks down and impulsive processes, including implicit attitudes "take over" and predict behavior (e.g., Hofmann et al 2008;Wiers et al 2009). In the latter study for example, implicit associations relating alcohol to power predicted aggressive behavior after drinking alcohol in participants with relatively low executive control.…”