Final answer:
Implicit attitudes are subconscious and unintentional beliefs, whereas explicit attitudes are conscious, controlled, and easy to report. Both types of attitudes can influence behavior and are crucial for understanding underlying prejudices and biases.
Step-by-step explanation:
To describe implicit and explicit attitudes, it's essential to understand that these are different types of beliefs that can influence behavior and thought processes. Explicit attitudes are conscious beliefs, feelings, or actions towards people, objects, or concepts. They can be expressed clearly and directly, and are controlled and easy to self-report. For instance, a person who believes in equality among all races and openly supports anti-racist policies holds an explicit attitude.
In contrast, implicit attitudes are subconscious beliefs and feelings, which are less accessible to our conscious thought and control and may even conflict with our explicitly stated beliefs. These attitudes are unintentional and are often measured through indirect tests such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Despite a person's explicit claim of not being racist, they may still harbor unconscious biases that can be revealed through such implicit measures.
Understanding the dual nature of attitudes is particularly important in the context of detecting modern forms of racism and prejudice. While someone may consciously espouse egalitarian views, their implicit attitudes might reflect latent prejudices that are not obvious on the surface.