Blink- Warren G. Harding

Describe how Warren G. Harding rose to the Presidency in 1920.
Warren G. Harding rose thought the Republican Party to become President in 1920 entirely due to his good looks and the fact that he looked presidential. His rapid rise had nothing to do with his intelligence, or even for the want of it. He was driven entirely by his wife and by his chief adviser. He was not the leading candidate at the conventions. Instead it was deadlocked between two others, and behind closed doors, the leaders of the republican party could not agree on either on, so they picked a nobody who looked very presidential and radiated confidence, yet he lacked the intelligence and nuance required for the job. He bluffed his way in, or rather his adviser bluffed him in.
Why does the author believe that people were in error in promoting Harding to higher office?
He believes that they were in error because he obviously did not have the necessary skills to adequately deal with such a demanding and important job. Also due to the fact that he was woefully under qualified; He was a nobody who people at the time thought looked good. He had no redeeming qualities suitable for the job.
What was the point of the “Implicit Association Test (IAT)?”
The point of the IAT was to determine the unconscious reflexes we posses when it comes to things like sex, ethnicity, color, or nationality. It was meant to detect our unconscious reactions to the above mentioned differences between us.
What are the advantages to completing the IAT on computer? Why does Gladwell believe the IAT has become “so popular in recent years?”
By completing the IAT on a computer, it allows the time it takes you to respond to be more accurately measure so it is easier to determine your reaction time. Gladwell believes it has become so popular in recent years is the fact that in recent years there has been renewed arguments over Affirmative Action and the wealth spread.
Why, according to Gladwell, did he become mortified upon completion of the first part of the IAT test on race? What occurred on the second part of the IAT test?
He became mortified on the first part because he was finding it easier to match things to the "white and good vs black and evil" chart than the "white and evil vs black and good" chart. This mortified him because he is not racist and the thought of being unconsciously racist was mortifying. On the second part of the IAT test he found it even harder to do the second chart.
Did it make any difference how many times Gladwell took the test? What does the author believe is the reason for our answers on the IAT (i.e. what does the IAT measure)?
It did not matter how many times he took the test the results always came out the same. He did it several time but was unable to change the results in any way. Gladwell believes that the reason for our answers is that in the media, in the movies and in our culture, white is generally seen as good and black is generally associated with evil.
If Gladwell is correct, that your unconscious acts as a computer that “crunches all the data” from our lives and “it forms an opinion”; would you consider this to your true self? Please explain your answer.
No, this is not our true self. It is hardwired into us by our culture. Our true self is what we choose to do having experienced everything we have experiences and learned.
Does Gladwell feel that it matters if one has a “strongly pro-white pattern of associations?”
Yes, because then our answers would be slanted toward whites being good and blacks being bad.
How does the Warren Harding error impact the business world?
In the business world the Warren Harding error makes a large impact. Almost 80% of the CEOs in the United States of America are tall, white men which is exactly what our culture's image of a rich, successful CEO is. The Warren Harding error makes a huge impact in the business world; There aren't many short CEOs, There aren't many black CEOs and there aren't many women CEO's.
How does Bob Golomb’s strategy defeat the Warren Harding error?
His strategy assess everyone exactly the same, ignoring their difference and offering the same price to everyone, acting the same way with everyone and having the same attitude with everyone. His strategy basically negates the effect of the Warren Harding by ignoring that initial response and treating everyone equally.
What were the results of the Ayres study? What does Gladwell believe to be the explanation for these results?
The result of the Ayers study were that the white men recieved the lowest offers, the white women recieved the next lowest and then the black women and the black men got the worst offfers, almost $2000 higher than the white man, and even after extensive and aggresive barganing, they could only lower the price to $800 more than the initial offer the white men recieved. Gladwell believed that the reason for this was not that they were incrediably racist or bigots but that they heard somewhere that blacks and women were 'suckers' and they could easily make a ton of money off them.
How does Gladwell believe you can change your score on the race IAT? How, according to Gladwell, can we apply this rule to our everyday lives? Do you agree?
Gladwell believes that if you read, watch and hear more about blacks that had incredible self-sacrifice and were so much more honorable and did more good than millions (people like Martin Luther King Jr.) , you will eventually change your perception and improve your IAT score. Gladwell says that if apply this to our everyday lives by associating more with blacks, we will eventually improve our unconcious perception. I agree with Gladwell, that if we hear, see and experience more positive things about blacks we will improve our unconcious perception.