Self-Control Over Automatic Associations

Abstract

Processes that permit control over automatic impulses are critical to a range of goal-directed behaviors. This chapter examines the role of self-control in implicit attitudes. It is widely assumed that implicit attitude measures reflect the automatic activation of stored associations, whose expression cannot be altered by controlled processes. We review research from the Quad model (Sherman et al., 2008) to highlight the importance of two self-control processes in determining the influence of automatically activated associations. The findings of this research indicate that processes relating to detecting appropriate responses and overcoming associations contribute to performance on implicit attitude measures. These two processes work together to enable self-control of automatic associations; one process detects that control is needed, and the other process overcomes the associations to permit correct behavior. Implications for understanding self-control dilemmas are discussed.

Affiliative social tuning reduces the activation of prejudice

“…The finding that social tuning operates via contextual change in activated associations contributes to the conclusion that it is a unique means of modulating implicit ethnic attitudes. Unlike most other prejudice reduction strategies it does not rely on cognitive control in the form of overcoming bias or response monitoring (Gonsalkorale et al, 2010). Further, it takes advantage of the fundamental desire to get along with others (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Fiske, 2003) and does not require certain behaviors on the part of stigmatized targets, which exposure to positive exemplars, one of the very few other strategies that yields effects solely via shifts in association activation, does.…”

“…This is also the case with intoxicated people compared to sober people (Bartholow, Dickter, & Sestir, 2006). Most prejudice reduction techniques also involve cognitive control to some degree (Amodio, Devine, & Harmon-Jones, 2008; Amodio et al, 2004; Gonsalkorale, Sherman, Allen, Klauer, & Amodio, 2011; for reviews see Gonsalkorale, Sherman, & Allen, 2010; Sherman, 2009). Presenting African Americans in a positive context (i.e., church) as opposed to a negative one (i.e., prison) elicits lower implicit prejudice because the positive context inspires greater control over one’s prejudicial associations (Allen, Sherman, & Klauer, 2010).…”