Recent Research Has Provided Evidence That Scores on the Implicit Association Test a Study of the Predictive Validity and Procedural Justice of the Implicit Association Test

WRIGHT, NATALIE ANN. A Study of the Predictive Validity and Procedural Justice of the Implicit Association Test. (Under the direction of Dr. Adam Meade). Recent research has provided evidence that scores on the Implicit Association Test (IAT) are contaminated by cognitive ability (e.g., Back, Schmulke, & Egloff, 2005; McFarland & Crouch, 2002). Although the IAT has been generally viewed with suspicion in organizational settings (Haines & Sumner, 2006; Landy, 2008), it is of scholarly interest to determine if scores on the IAT are influenced by cognitive ability. This study examined the relationship between two IATs and a traditional cognitive ability measure, as well as the IATs‟ ability to predict post-training declarative knowledge and skill acquisition outcomes. Additionally, procedural justice reactions were assessed for the IATs and cognitive ability measure. Results indicate that IAT scores are not related to cognitive ability, and have no predictive validity in relation to post-training declarative knowledge and skill acquisition outcomes. Furthermore, procedural justice reactions indicate that use of the IAT in a selection context would be viewed negatively by applicants. A Study of the Predictive Validity and Procedural Justice of the Implicit Association Test by Natalie A. Wright A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science