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| International Symposium - The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) I: A Behavior-Analytic Methodology for Assessing Implicit Beliefs and Attitudes |
| Monday, May 29, 2006 |
| 1:30 PM–2:50 PM |
| International Ballroom South |
| Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research |
| Chair: Ian T. Stewart (National University of Ireland, Galway) |
| Abstract: Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is a modern behavioural approach to human language and cognition, the central postulate of which is that higher-cognitive functioning is composed of relational acts. A recent development in this research area is an RFT-based procedure for measuring implicit relations, termed the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP). Initial studies have shown that the IRAP may be used to measure relational networks or attitudes that individuals are either unaware of or may wish to conceal. The IRAP appears to offer advantages over other methods that use reaction time measures to assess attitudes (e.g. the Implicit Association Test), both in its theoretical rationale and its ability to measure many types of relationships. This symposium presents first a conceptual paper which presents the conceptual and empirical background to the development of the IRAP and then three further papers which report recent IRAP-based research including the employment of the IRAP as a tool to investigate national stereotyping (Paper 2), the analysis of the relational properties of the IRAP (Paper 3) and the ‘fakeability’ of IRAP performance (Paper 4). |
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| The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) I: Background and Rationale. |
| DERMOT BARNES-HOLMES (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Ian T. Stewart (National University of Ireland, Galway) |
| Abstract: Relational Frame Theory (RFT) is a modern behavioural approach to human language and cognition, the central postulate of which is that higher-cognitive functioning is composed of relational acts. A recent development in this research area is an RFT-based procedure for measuring implicit relations, termed the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP). Initial studies have shown that the IRAP may be used to measure relational networks or attitudes that individuals are either unaware of or may wish to conceal. The IRAP appears to offer advantages over other methods that use reaction time measures to assess attitudes (e.g. the Implicit Association Test), both in its theoretical rationale and its ability to measure many types of relationships. The current paper presents the conceptual and empirical background to the development of the IRAP. |
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| The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) II: Revealing Hidden National Stereotypes. |
| PATRICIA M. POWER (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Ian T. Stewart (National University of Ireland, Galway) |
| Abstract: This paper presents a series of studies that sought to determine if the IRAP can be used to assess implicit national stereotypes. In one study, Irish participants were required to respond TRUE or FALSE given a relational cue comparing different nationalities along the dimension of likeability. One task, for example, presented “Irish more likable than Scottish?” and another “Scottish more likeable than American?” If participants responded more rapidly to these tasks when asked to respond TRUE than when asked to respond FALSE, this would indicate that they implicitly believed that the Irish are more likeable than the Scottish, but the Scottish are more likeable than Americans. Results showed a divergence between performance on the IRAP and explicit likert-based measures, indicating that the IRAP can measure implicit beliefs directly and can also measure networks of interconnected beliefs. |
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| The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) III: How Relational is the IRAP? |
| CLAIRE CULLEN (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Ian T. Stewart (National University of Ireland, Galway) |
| Abstract: This paper presents a study that sought to determine if the IRAP effect depends upon the presence or absence of relational terms as response options. Adult participants were exposed to two different types of IRAPs. One IRAP presented the sample stimuli “Good” and “Bad” with examples of good and bad people as target stimuli, and the response options “Similar” and “Opposite.” The second IRAP was identical except the response options were “True” and “False.” In addition, the examples of good and bad people included Irish and Non-Irish individuals. The results from the study shed light on the relational nature of the IRAP and the extent to which responding is differentially sensitive to the individual target stimuli that are presented within the task. |
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| The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) IV: Can You Fake the IRAP? |
| IAN MCKENNA (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Dermot Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Yvonne Barnes-Holmes (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), Ian T. Stewart (National University of Ireland, Galway) |
| Abstract: This paper presents a study that sought to determine if it is possible to fake the IRAP. Three groups of adult participants were exposed to a baseline IRAP. The IRAP presented the sample stimuli “Pleasant” and “Unpleasant” with examples of pleasant and unpleasant things as target stimuli, and the response options “Similar” and “Opposite.” Having completed the first IRAP, one group of participants received information about the IRAP and how it works; the second group received similar information but were asked to try to fake the next IRAP by thinking of pleasant things as unpleasant and unpleasant things as pleasant; the third group also received similar information, but were explicitly told how to fake the IRAP by deliberately slowing down on the easier trials. The results from the study have important implications for the reliability of the IRAP, as a measure of implicit beliefs and attitudes, and indicate the extent to which the procedure may be faked by participants. |
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