The implicit relational assessment procedure as a measure of self-esteem

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to pilot the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) in measuring attitudes toward the self: one related to body image specifically and another assessing the broader construct of self-esteem. Study 1 utilized the IRAP with female college students to examine self-referential beliefs regarding body image. Results revealed positive associations between self-referential beliefs on the IRAP and explicit measures of body image satisfaction and acceptance, likelihood of dieting, and internalization of the thin ideal. In Study 2, an IRAP measuring general self-esteem revealed positive correlations between IRAP performance and explicit measures of psychological functioning and negative correlations between the IRAP and psychopathology. Results are discussed in terms of the potential utility of this theoretically grounded implicit measure in assessing self-concept.