Using the implicit association test to assess children's implicit attitudes toward smoking

The development and psychometric properties of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) measuring implicit attitudes toward smoking among 5^th-grade children were described. The IAT with sweets as the contrast category resulted in higher correlations with explicit attitudes than did the IAT with healthy foods as the contrast category. Children with family members who smoked (vs. nonsmoking) and children who were high in sensation seeking (vs. low) had significantly more favorable implicit attitudes toward smoking. Further, implicit attitudes became less favorable after engaging in tobacco-prevention activities targeting risk perceptions of addiction. The results support the reliability and validity of this version of the IAT and illustrate its usefulness in assessing young children's implicit attitudes toward smoking.