Since its online introduction in 1998, the Implicit Association Test (IAT) has enabled individuals to uncover hidden biases that may be beyond their conscious awareness—biases that researchers might miss through self-reported data.

The IAT works by having participants categorise onscreen words or images using specific keyboard keys. The response times to different combinations of stimuli are believed to reveal underlying mental associations, even those participants may not be consciously aware of.

The IAT was developed by APS William James Fellow Anthony Greenwald (University of Washington), who collaborated with APS Past President Mahzarin Banaji (Harvard University) and APS Fellow Brian Nosek (University of Virginia) in the mid-1990s. Over the years, this tool has been used to explore unconscious and automatic thought processes in various contexts, including among employers, police officers, jurors, and voters.