Upon taking this test, I felt like I kind of knew what to expect. I’ve taken other psych tests before, and mid-test, try to actively think about what they could possibly be testing me on. Throughout the test, I began to notice that they were purposely positioning positive words after white faces, and negative words after black faces. I felt like I caught on to what they were trying to prove:  I thought I had beaten the system. I also always view myself as super inclusive and open to all races, so I was confident that my results would not show any preferene to one race.  But when my results came back and showed that I subconsciously had a moderate preference for white people over black, I was pretty surprised. How could that be true when I consider myself so open and accepting?

^My results

Upon reading the FAQ, I was able to gather some more factual information that actually helped me feel better about my results. The website explains that a lot of these feelings and beliefs come from a long line of historical imbalances pertaining to race, and that to a degree, it doesn’t come from your own thoughts. It goes on to say that this is why it’s important to be aware of the thoughts you have and actively work to keep them open and accepting,  because you have the power to change them. It also says that just because your results show some sort of preference does NOT necessarily mean you are prejudice towards a certain group of people. It says that these results do not determine what you consciously believe, so even if society has conditioned you to subconsciously have a preference, you may consciously act in a manner contradictory to that. This also helps me feel better, because I never want to act in a prejudice way.

Reading Rule 1 of of the Multicultural Intelligence Book highlights the importance of people having a high “MQ,” or multicultural intelligence (similar to “IQ”). Rule 1 talks about how in today’s society, having a good MQ separates those who will be successful and those who will not be. MQ involves a deep understanding of those different than yourself: it requires a conscious effort to continuously learn more and dive deeper into trying to understand the lives of those who are of a different race, gender, sexual orientation or nationally than you. This talk about MQ makes me think about the company I worked for this summer: Power Home Remodeling Group. While it’s a home remodeling company, it’s by far the most progressive and inclusive environment I have ever worked in. They have what’s called CD&I, which is a bi-annual cultural, diversity and inclusion summit, and they have meetings EVERY WEEK to openly discuss topics related to CD&I. Everybody in the organization is involved in some way, whether it’s leading discussions, planning the CD&I events, filming and creating videos to tell employees’ stories, or simply attending the summits. After working here for a summer, and being consistently challenged to consider my MQ, I feel good about where I stand. However, being a white female, I recognize that I can always learn and grow more as I continue to educate myself on the various obstacles and struggles that others face as a result of their race/sexual orientation/nationality.  While I always knew race was very much a thing, it wasn’t until I left the bubble of my hometown (and PSU) and began working for this company that I really was enlightened by the extent of what race means in America.