Implicit and explicit attitudes as predictors of both spontaneous and deliberative social behavior

Three experiments examined the extent to which an implicit (Implicit Association Test [IAT]) and an explicit (Pro-Black/Anti-Black Attitudes Questionnaire [PAAQ]) measure of racial attitudes predicted both spontaneous and deliberative social behaviors. In Experiment 1, the IAT and PAAQ were used to predict the amount of cooperation exhibited by White participants in a Prisoner's Dilemma game (PDG) when the (fictitious) partner was either Caucasian or African American. In Experiment 2, the two measures were used to predict the extent to which White participants mimicked the motor movements of Caucasian and African American confederates. Finally, in Experiment 3, the two measures were used to predict the verbal and nonverbal behaviors of White participants engaged in dyadic conversations with Caucasian and African American confederates.;The primary findings of the three experiments reported herein are: (a) participants cooperated more with a Black partner in the PDG; (b) both the IAT and the Pro-Black subscale of the PAAQ predicted cooperation with the Black partner; (c) participants exhibited greater mimicry of a White confederate; (d) both the IAT and the Pro-Black subscale predicted mimicry of the Black confederate; (e) participants exhibited more friendly verbal and nonverbal behaviors when interacting with a White confederate; (f) the IAT primarily predicted friendliness of nonverbal behaviors with the White confederate relative to the Black confederate; and (g) the Pro-Black subscale primarily predicted friendliness of verbal behaviors with the Black confederate. The implications of these findings for studies examining interracial interaction behaviors and the predictive validity of racial attitude measures are discussed.