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| An Introduction to the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure: Rationale, Design, and Recent Empirical Issues |
| Friday, May 28, 2010 |
| 10:00 AM–5:00 PM |
| Texas Ballroom Salon F (Grand Hyatt) |
| Area: EAB/VBC; Domain: Experimental Analysis |
| CE Instructor: Kent Johnson, Ph.D. |
| SEAN HUGHES (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), DERMOT BARNES-HOLMES (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), NIGEL AUGUSTINE VAHEY (National University of Ireland, Maynooth), CATRIONA O'TOOLE (National University of Ireland, Maynooth) |
| Description: The implicit relational assessment procedure (IRAP) is a computerised response-time metric that requires participants to respond in a manner either consistent or inconsistent with their behavioural history. The response-time differentials between consistent and inconsistent tasks provide an index of implicit cognitive biases. Implicit attitudes appear to be useful in the analysis of relatively established behaviours that do not often come under deliberative control (e.g. addictive compulsions or prejudice). Whereas explicit measures are frequently criticised as suffering from the limitations of introspection and as largely reflecting a person’s tendency to respond in a socially desirable manner, implicit measures are relatively impervious to such confounding biases.
A key objective of the workshop will be to provide a comprehensive introduction to the IRAP that guides participants through the empirical, theoretical, and procedural considerations in utilising the measure. The workshop will outline the key empirical literatures that gave rise to the IRAP, and offer strategies for successfully designing and implementing IRAPs to maximise precision while minimising attrition in the participant’s specific research area. These principles will be illustrated in practice for workshop participants by the facilitators. Thereafter, recent applications of the IRAP in differing research and applied domains will be showcased. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to do the following:
1. describe, introduce, and place the IRAP within the extant literature;
2. communicate the psychometric properties of the IRAP within the theoretical framework of the newly offered relational elaboration and coherence (REC) model derived from relational frame theory;
3. identify and explain the practical and analytic strengths and limitations of the IRAP relative to alternative implicit and self-report measures;
4. generate a stimulus set relevant to their target domain;
5. correctly implement all relevant design parameters and minimise the possibility of participant attrition across the IRAP task. |
| Activities: The workshop will facilitate practical experience in designing and conducting an IRAP study and give participants the opportunity to engage in all stages of the experimental process. Towards this end, workshop participants are encouraged to bring a laptop with the IRAP software pre-installed (all materials and software are available for free at http://psychology.nuim.ie/IRAP/IRAP_1.shtml). |
| Audience: This workshop provides an in-depth introduction to the empirical and theoretical rationale underlying the IRAP while concomitantly developing the skills needed to effectively design and implement the measure in the participant’s target domain. As such, researchers new to the IRAP as well as those interested in refining their understanding of the measure would equally benefit from attending this workshop. |
| Content Area: Methodology |
| Instruction Level: Basic |