We all have preferences ranging from our choice of food, clothing, music, movies, and pets. Humans are not devoid of preferences that underpin how we perceive, interact, and relate with each other in our respective environments. In most cases these preferences may subtly bias our judgement and fuel discrimination and stereotyping a group of people based on shared unique characteristics. Biases can manifest in subtle observable behaviors or as hidden preferences. Hence, to ensure that each person is treated equitably without prejudice, it’s important to first identify our own biases and understand how they may be skewing our behaviors in a social world. As such the Harvard Implicit Association Tests (IAT) designed to measures the association between concepts and evaluation attempts to help individuals identify their own preferences based on the reaction time (speed) they evaluate (e.g., Good, Bad) a concept (e.g., Christianity and Islam).
After taking the Religion IAT test my results suggested that I have an automatic preference for Christianity over Islam. As someone who identify as a Christian with Roman Catholic roots, my subscription to Christian values and tenets comes to me naturally. But these values do not in any way bias my relationship for Muslims or persons of other faith since some of my closest friends are Muslims. However, I must be extra mindful not to be biased in my interactions towards persons of others faith or religion especially Muslims (as measured in the test).
As a student in the Child and Adolescent Global Mental Health class, I am delighted to be working with my colleagues and professors on a project that seeks to deploy tools for creating mental health awareness for adolescents in Somaliland. However, my results from the IAT suggest to me the need to be aware of any automatic preferences I may have when interacting with Muslims. Somaliland is a de facto state in the Horn of Africa with Islam as the dominant religion. The region has a history of tribal conflicts and experienced political instability which may have socioeconomic and mental health implications for our target group (i.e., adolescents).
Because religion plays a central role in Somaliland, it is imperative to explore how existential components of religion such as hope, forgiveness, positive reframing, and faith in a supreme being, could potentially mitigate mental health symptoms. Specifically, it would be important to further explore components of Islamic tenets that promote resilience in the development of our mental health interventions.
Also, I believe that this project would be a great avenue for me to learn more about other cultures and faith (e.g., Muslims) through my interactions with adolescents in Somaliland. Despite, my past interactions and association with Muslims on several occasions, I have had limited opportunity to learn, and understand the tenets of their faith and how it intersects with mental health delivery. From this class I hope to deepen my understanding and skills in cultural competencies through this project.
Like most psychometric tests, IAT has some potential limitations such as inaccuracy in measuring biases and inability to distinguish between culturally inherent knowledge and individual preferences. Despite, these limitations, the Religion IAT for me serves as a reminder to be aware of my implicit religious preferences and to dismantle them when interacting with persons of other faith, particularly when developing interventions to create mental health awareness for adolescents in an Islamic State.
