Tell us how you really feel : using the Implicit Association Test to measure attitudes towards seeking psychological help

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Authors
Walrath, Taylor R.
Advisor
Ægisdóttir, Stefanía
Issue Date
2013-05-04
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.A.)
Department
Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
Other Identifiers
Abstract

In this study, an Implicit Association Test (IAT) was created to measure individuals attitudes towards seeking psychological help. The IAT was administered prior to the Beliefs About Psychological Services scale (BAPS; Ægisdóttir & Gerstein, 2009) to examine the relationship between the implicit and explicit measures of attitudes toward seeking psychological help. It was theorized that the implicit measure would be less affected by social desirability and unconscious attitudes than the explicit measure. Standardizing revealed that IAT scores reflected less belief in the expertness of psychology professionals than did BAPS scores. However, participants reported greater intent to seek psychological help on the BAPS compared to the IAT. BAPS scores reflected higher stigma towards psychological services compared to the IAT. Correlations between the implicit and explicit measure were moderate for stigma and perceived expertness of psychology professionals but low for intent to seek psychological help.

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