Brian O’Shea ([email protected]) A POSITIVE FRAMING FLAW Gordon Brown, Derrick Watson IN THE Department of Psychology, IMPLICIT RELATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE (IRAP) University of Warwick, UK.

Aim: Study 2 Results/Discussion (Study 1-3): To investigate if the IRAP can accurately measure implicit attitudes Attitudes towards Non-Words (Absent Associations) N=30 • Participants have a default PFB when carrying out the IRAP both relatively (like the Implicit Association Test: IAT) and absolutely. ( p < .05). This resulted in an overestimation of absolute positive “implicit Summary: The attitudes” (strongest for absent/ weak prior associations). Rationale: Standard condition A number of experiments using the IRAP have revealed absolute replicated Study 1. • Positive and negative framing manipulations were successful at implicit attitudes that were not in the predicted direction (e.g. In the Negative influencing participants’ absolute “implicit attitudes” (p < .05) (strongest for participants having a pro-safe attitude to black and white civilians Framing condition absent/ weak prior associations). holding guns; Barnes-Holmes et al., 2010). participants were faster to press True • The PFB was not apparent when the IRAP data was analyzed using the A Positive Framing Bias (PFB): (vs. False) for Non- same method as the IAT (relative). The framing manipulations did not Humans have a bias towards positivity, larger or increasing Words associated have an influence on the relative results (p > .05). descriptions (Matthews & Dylman, 2014; Matlin, 2004) and this bias with Negative can be manipulated by framing (McKenzie & Nelson, 2003). words. Conclusion: The IRAP cannot measure absolute implicit attitudes accurately due to the Predictions: PFB. The IRAP can still be used as a relative measure but it’s a more difficult • In the standard condition participants will have a default PFB Study 3 task than the IAT and has higher attrition rates. which will result in an overestimation of positive implicit attitudes Attitudes towards Non-Words (Absent Associations), Social Systems (absolute results). (Weak Associations), Nature (Strong Associations) and Weight (Strong Associations) N=60 A NEW IMPLICIT MEASURE: The Simple Implicit Procedure (SIP): Summary of the • A Positive framing manipulation will increase the PFB while a The SIP can be used as both an absolute and a relative measure. Absolute results: negative framing manipulation will reverse the PFB (absolute The SIP is an extremely easy task for participants to complete In the Standard results). condition participants SIP Pilot Study had a PFB. This PFB • When the IRAP’s data are analysed using the same method as the Preliminary evidence (N=28) shows the SIP removes the PFB. was accentuated in IAT (relative) the PFB will not occur and the framing manipulations Implicit attitudes also correlate significantly with explicit attitudes. the Positive Framing will have no influence. Results will be similar to the IAT. condition and reversed in the General Method: Negative framing In the IRAP, participants make congruent (Fat Person-Active-False) condition. This effect (Fat Person-Unhealthy-True) or incongruent (Fat Person-Active-True) was strongest for (Fat Person-Unhealthy-False) responses in different blocks of trials absent/ weak prior associations. Study 1 Attitudes towards Non-Words (Absent Association) N= 22 Summary of the Relative Results: Summary: The framing Participants were manipulation had no faster to press True influence on the rather than False results. For attitudes for Non-Words References: towards Non-Words Barnes-Holmes et al. (2010). Exploring the impact of private versus public contexts and the associated with and Social Systems response latency criterion on pro-white and anti-black stereotyping among white Irish Positive words. neutral attitudes were individuals. The Psychological Record, 60, 57-66. No difference in shown. Strong pro- Matthews, W. J., & Dylman, A. S. (2014). The language of magnitude comparison. Journal of response speed was flower/anti-insect as Experimental Psychology: General, 143, 510-520. observed for Non- Matlin, M. W. (2004). Principle. In R. Pohl (Ed.), Cognitive illusions: A handbook on well as pro-thin/anti- fallacies and in thinking (pp.257-271). New York: Psychology Press. Words associated fat attitudes were also McKenzie, C. R., & Nelson, J. D. (2003). What a speaker’s choice of frame reveals: with Negative words. shown (similar to the Reference points, frame selection, and framing effects. Psychonomic Bulletin & IAT results). Review,10, 596-602.