Headway research tool

Implicit Association Test (IAT) Platform.

A behavioural analytics platform for measuring automatic associations that shape perceptions and decisions – even when people cannot or do not articulate them explicitly.

What the IAT measures.

The platform captures split-second responses to uncover patterns that traditional questionnaires often miss.

Automatic associations

Reaction times reveal how strongly concepts are linked in memory – for example, how fast people associate roles, groups or ideas with positive or negative attributes.

Implicit and explicit together

Combining IAT scores with survey responses highlights where stated beliefs and automatic associations align – and where they diverge.

Bias, preference & risk

The tool helps identify bias patterns, preference structures and potential risk areas that matter for policy design, recruitment, communication or service delivery.

How the platform works.

A full pipeline from research design to dashboards, designed to be used by researchers and organisations, not just technologists.

1

Design & configuration

We co-design the IAT structure – stimuli, concepts, pairings and explicit questions – to reflect your context and research question.

2

Fieldwork & deployment

Participants complete the IAT on a secure, browser-based interface optimised for keyboards and touch devices, with quality checks built in.

3

Scoring & analytics

Data are cleaned and scored using established IAT protocols, with options for segmenting by group, time, intervention arm or scenario.

4

Reporting & interpretation

Results are translated into clear narratives, visuals and practical implications for decision-makers and teams.

Platform features.

Built to be rigorous enough for research and practical enough for organisations.

Adaptive task design

Flexible configuration of blocks, stimuli and timing rules, with the possibility to run multiple variants and A/B tests.

Includes support for pilots and calibration.

Multi-device, secure delivery

Browser-based interface, SSL encryption and configurable access rules, with options for integration into existing survey or panel infrastructures.

Comparative analytics

Group-level dashboards, distributions and effect size estimates that can be sliced by segment, geography, time or experimental arm.

Ethics, data & governance

Support on consent, briefing materials and governance frameworks to ensure that implicit measures are used responsibly and constructively.

Where the IAT is useful.

Typical contexts where understanding implicit associations adds value to decisions.

Selected use cases

The IAT platform is used with public institutions, organisations and research partners who need more than standard opinion data.

Equality, diversity & inclusion Public communication & campaigns Service & policy design Brand & reputation research Education & training evaluation
Interested in using the Implicit Association Test platform in your organisation or research project? We can help with study design, implementation and interpretation.