FORGOTTEN BUT NOT FORGIVEN: THE RETENTION OF IMPLICIT NEGATIVE BIAS DESPITE EXPLICIT FORGETTING

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that implicit attitudes are much harder to reverse with updated information than are explicit attitudes. Yet, very little research has been conducted on a phenomenon we are calling “forgotten but not forgiven.” That is, if we accuse someone of wrongdoing, then subsequently exonerate them by discrediting the information presented, will people who have been exposed to negative information about the character hold onto a negative implicit bias against the target even when they fail to recognize the person as the target on a conscious, explicit level? Our participant pool was comprised of 170 Cornell University students, who were shown information, told it was untrue, and took an Implicit Association Test. The main analysis was a t-test of participants’ D-score, which was not statistically significant. Remembrance rates of the target remained low, however, and we suggest continued research on this topic because of certain limitations we faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.