In the reading of the Malcolm Gladwell Chapter, it was surprising to see that Warren Harding was elected president simply because he "looked like a president." His election proved that physical characteristics affect the way a person is judged and believed to be. Harding was good looking and strong, which drew the electors to believe he would make a good president. 
Although Warren Harding looked like a mighty leader, his demeanor was deceitful. The unconscious biases of the electors towards Harding due to his physical features, caused Harding to win the election. Although people may not be aware of their unconscious preferences towards certain people, it would be hard to change their biases if they were unaware of them in the first place. Instead of just looking for physical characteristics to determine a leader, some characteristics people should look for include: integrity, honesty, intelligence, morality, dedication, and determination.
The IAT, is an implicit association test that detects the presence of unconscious biases that people may have. I took an IAT on racial preference over blacks and whites, association with females and males in the workforce, and preference over fat and skinny people. After taking the tests concerning the different races and gender association, the test concluded that I had little to no preference over blacks and whites, and that I had little to no difference in the association of females and males in the workforce.
The third test I took was on preference of fat or skinny people. I was shocked to see my results. I had a moderate preference towards skinny people over heavier people. I found this surprising because in daily life, I often disregard the weight of other people as it does not concern me. I believe that my response to the different weights of people is influenced due to our society's stress on the importance of being "skinny."
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