In the 1970s, psychologists began to develop concepts for measuring unconscious knowledge. One such test that has received significant attention in the scientific community is the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which was initially used to measure social cognition or implicit intergroup attitudes. It was quickly adapted to assess implicit stereotypes and self-concept. Since then, the IAT has been predominantly used by psychologists, neurologists, and scientists to assess implicit perception, attitudes, emotions that people may not be willing or able to report, and people’s behavior in a given context.

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) requires subjects to rapidly sort stimuli into different pairs, primarily primed with an attribute (e.g., easy vs. difficult) or an image (e.g., logo), with recorded response times and response errors. It measures the underlying strength of associations between different classes of stimuli and primers. Consequently, quicker response times indicate a stronger association between a concept, while slower response times indicate the opposite.

For Buyer Brain, we have adapted this psychological instrument to fit the field of consumer research, applying the same IAT methodology used by researchers. We have developed an application with ease of configuration in mind to apply this methodology on a wide scale of applications, whether measuring the level of cognitive and emotional processes or touchpoints, the relevance or importance of certain types of loyalty programs, the credibility or trust that certain brands or companies inspire in customers, or to understand the extent to which certain professional attributes characterize employees.