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Examining the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure: Four Preliminary Studies

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Abstract

The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) is a relatively new measure of implicit cognition that tests cognition as relational behavior instead of an associative activity and thus may provide a more specific measure of cognitive repertoires, including those for social biases, than better known implicit measures such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT). A small body of IRAP research provides tentative evidence for this measure’s potential. The current study adds to this research by using the IRAP to assess for social biases for race, religion, gender, and obesity. Overall results show medium to large effect sizes for all conditions except obesity, as well as interesting trends at the trial-type level. These outcomes and possible future directions of IRAP research are discussed.

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Correspondence to Kelly G. Wilson.

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The authors would like to thank Leigh Everett, Jana Graham, Adam Hahs, and William D. Newsome, Jr., for their invaluable assistance in this collection of studies and Dermot Barnes-Holmes and one anonymous reviewer for their helpful suggestions on the manuscript. Chad Drake is currently an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

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Drake, C.E., Kellum, K.K., Wilson, K.G. et al. Examining the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure: Four Preliminary Studies. Psychol Rec 60, 81–100 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395695

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