October 23, Paper presented at the 27th Annual Research and Treatment Conference of ATSA T Attitudes toward CSA IAT

Transcription

1 Uner the raar: Assessing attitues towar chil sexual abuse using the Implicit Association Test Nicolas Kessous, B.A., Kelly Babchishin, B.A., & Kevin Nunes, Ph.D. Department of Psychology, Carleton University The 27th Annual Research an Treatment Conference of the Association f the Treatment of Sexual Abusers Atlanta, Gegia Introuction Chil sexual abuse is both legally an ethically proscribe, an imposes physical an psychological harms upon its victims (Canaian Centre f Justice Statistics, 2001) Deviant attitues towar chil sexual abuse (CSA) help initiate the sexual abuse of chilren (Finkelh & Araji,1986; Hall & Hirschman, 1992; War & Beech, 2006; War & Siegert, 2002) Attitues an crime Chil molesters rept me positive attitues towar CSA than other criminal groups on measures of attitues towar CSA (Bumby, 1996; Hanson, Gizzarelli, & Scott, 1994; Mann, Webster, Wakeling, & Marshall, 2007) Attitues towar CSA are commonly assesse using explicit measures. However, me implicit means of assessment may also prove useful Attitue Assessment Explicit an implicit measures are complementary Explicit an implicit measures can provie a comprehensive account of attitues by tapping into an consoliating their explicit an implicit elements Explicit an implicit measures of attitues towar CSA were aministere to a group of chil molesters an non-sex offeners Stimulus ws representing Ault an Chil Attitues towar CSA IAT Stimulus Ws T-28 1

2 Attitues towar CSA IAT Combine trial poison Attitues towar CSA IAT poison Reverse-combine trial T-28 2

3 paraise paraise General Hypotheses 1) Chil molesters were expecte to isplay me positive attitues towar CSA than non-sex offeners on the Attitues towar CSA IAT 2) Chil molesters were expecte to rept me eviant attitues towar CSA than non-sex offeners on a self-rept measure of attitues towar CSA General Hypotheses (Cont.) 3) Participants perfmance on the Attitues towar CSA IAT was expecte to be relate to their perfmance on the self-rept measure of attitues towar CSA 4) Chil molesters perfmance on both the IAT an the self-rept measure of attitues towar CSA was expecte to be relate to their risk of sexual reciivism T-28 3

4 Participants 34 chil molesters Iniviuals whose inex offences were sexual in nature an against chilren uner 12 years of age 21 non-sex offeners Iniviuals who ha no charges, convictions, self-repte histy of sexual offences Primary Measures Implicit measure: Attitues towar CSA IAT Explicit i measure: Chilren (SWCH) scale (Mann, Webster, Wakeling, & Marshall, 2007) Fact 1: chilren as Fact 2: Chilren as f their own abuse Seconary Measures Balance Inventy of Desirable Responing (BIDR; Paulhus, 1984) Assesses the extent to which participants are answering in a socially esirable fashion Impression management (IM) Self-eception (SD) Clarke Vocabulary Test (CVT; Paitich, 1977) Assesses vocabulary skills Participants who i not obtain a satisfacty sce on the Clarke Vocabulary Test were remove from the sample Seconary Measures (Cont.) Risk of sexual reciivism Static-99 Assesses static facts Stable-2000/2007 Assesses stable ynamic facts F purposes of statistical analyses, participants sces on the Static-99 an the Stable-2000/2007 were combine into one risk sce (accing to rules by Hanson, Harris, Scott, & Helmus, 2007) Statistical Analyses an Results Research Question #1: Do chil molesters isplay me positive attitues towar CSA than non-sex offeners on the Attitues towar CSA IAT? Result: Chil molesters attitues towar CSA were not significantly ifferent from those of non-sex offeners on the Attitues towar CSA IAT, F(1, 54) =.12, p =.73, Cohen s = (: ) Age CVT BIDR IM SD Total CSA-IAT -.28* -.29* *p <.05 T-28 4

5 Research Question # 2: Do chil molesters rept me eviant attitues towar CSA than non-sex offeners on the SWCH scale? Result: Chil molesters repte significantly me eviant attitues towar CSA than non-sex offeners on: the SWCH scale total, F(1, 54) = 9.99, p <.01 Fact 1, F(1, 54) = 7.48, p <.01 An Fact 2, F(1, 54) = 11.09, p <.01 chilren Chilren f abuse chilren chilren Chilren f abuse Chilren f abuse Research Question # 3: Are participants sces on the Attitues towar CSA IAT crelate with their sces on the SWCH scale? chilren Chilren f abuse Result: Participants sces on the Attitues towar CSA IAT were not significantly crelate with: their total sces on the SWCH scale, r = -.12, p =.40 either of its facts, F1: r = -.13, p =.32; F2: r = -.01, p =.48 T-28 5

6 Research Question # 4: Are chil molesters sces on the Attitues towar CSA IAT an the SWCH scale crelate with their risk sces? Result: Chil molesters sces on the Attitues towar CSA IAT an their sces on the SWCH scale were not significantly crelate with their risk sces Attitues towar CSA IAT: r =.09, p =.70 SWCH Total: r =.16, p =.48 r =.10, p =.64 r =.18, p =.41 Crelations with Attitues supptive of sexual assault item of the Stable-2000: Attitues towar CSA IAT: r = -.35, p =.19 SWCH Total: r =.30, p =.25 r =.26, p =.32 r =.38, p =.14 Summary Implicit attitues towar CSA, as measure by the Attitues towar CSA IAT, are not relate to criminal group membership Summary (Cont.) Implicit an explicit attitues towar CSA, as measure by the Attitues towar CSA IAT an the SWCH scale, are not relate constructs Explicit attitues towar CSA, as measure by the SWCH scale, are relate to criminal group membership Implicit an explicit attitues towar CSA, as measure by the Attitues towar CSA IAT an the SWCH scale, are not relate to risk of sexual reciivism Discussion Attitues towar CSA IAT sces were significantly crelate with two extraneous variables: age an vocabulary skills Controlling f both variables i not alter the significance irection of the results Discussion (Cont.) If external facts cannot account f the finings, perhaps internal facts are I i ibl h h A i CSA IAT Is it possible that the Attitues towar CSA IAT coul not tap into the esire construct ue to some esign flaw? Yet, previous research has emonstrate that attitues towar CSA are inee relate to criminal group membership T-28 6

7 Discussion (Cont.) Participants primary task in the IAT is to ientify the categy membership of stimulus items as quickly as possible, an so each stimulus item must be ientifiable as representing just one of the four categies (Nosek, Greenwal, & Banaji, 2007, p.269) Stimulus ws representing Ault an Chil Perhaps the Attitues towar CSA IAT i not comply with this basic tenet of IAT construction Discussion (Cont.) Chil molesters appear to iffer from non-sex offeners in terms of extent of isagreement with pro-csa statements, an not isagreement per say (Tierney & McCabe, 2001) Thank you f your time an attention Please feel free to ask any questions you may have Perhaps the Attitues towar CSA IAT was not sensitive enough to perceive this ifference T-28 7