An exploration of cognitive ability contamination in the Implicit Association Test methodology

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between scores on the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and cognitive ability. This relationship was investigated by examining the relationship between two different IATs, a cognitive ability test, and learning outcomes following a short training module. Results demonstrated that IATs scored with the D scoring algorithm were not significantly related to cognitive ability test scores, and were not related to post-training learning outcomes. However, IATs scored with the conventional scoring algorithm were significantly negatively related to cognitive ability, and the two IATs used in the study were significantly correlated with one another regardless of which scoring method was used.

► We investigated the relationship between Implicit Association Test (IAT) scores and cognitive ability. ► IATs scored with the D scoring algorithm were not related to scores on a cognitive ability test. ► IATs scored with the conventional scoring algorithm were related to scores on a cognitive ability test. ► IAT scores did not predict post-training learning outcomes, regardless of IAT scoring method.