Implicit association Self-concept test in studying of violence-related cognitions

Abstract

The aim of research: to investigate violence-related cognitions with Self-Concept implicit association test (IAT) and self-reported procedures for sentenced and not sentenced males. The research questions: Is there correspondence between the results of measuring implicit associations related to criminal violence using Self-Concept IAT and self-reported criminal attitudes towards violence among sentenced and not sentenced males? Is there a relationship between implicit associations of self with criminal violence measured by Self-Concept IAT and personality traits: psychoticism, neuroticism, extraversion? Is there a relationship between self-reported attitudes towards criminal violence and these personality traits? Participants: 141 males. Groups: “Sentenced” — 77 prisoners, 20—62 years (Mdn = 34) undergoing sentence in high security prisons; “Not sentenced” — 64 previously not sentenced, 18—62 years (Mdn = 32). Violence Self-Concept IAT was specially designed. Self-reported procedures to measure criminal attitudes and personality traits were used. The correspondence between the results of implicit and explicit measurements was found under certain experimental conditions. The relationships between the personal traits and attitudes towards criminal violence measured by self-report procedures and IAT were revealed.