Expansion and Reevaluation of the Implicit Association Test in Suicide Ideators and Suicide Attempters

Summary

Participation Requirements

Description

In this study, four versions of the suicide-specific implicit association tests (IAT-S) are carried out. Previous studies have shown that suicidal persons have stronger associations between the constructs "self" and "death". Furthermore, the strength of these implicit associations increases the risk...

In this study, four versions of the suicide-specific implicit association tests (IAT-S) are carried out. Previous studies have shown that suicidal persons have stronger associations between the constructs "self" and "death". Furthermore, the strength of these implicit associations increases the risk of suicidal behavior in the follow-up period of six months by a factor of six. In these previous studies, the implicit "self-death association" (the so-called death-identity bias) was investigated. This study will additionally examine an implicit emotional evaluation (death-evaluation-bias). Therefore, two new versions of the IAT-S, which measure how death vs. life are emotionally evaluated, are being tested. In addition, a fourth version of the IAT-S was added and aims to clarify the implicit association between death / life and internal / external locus of control. Previous studies have shown that an internal locus of control is a protective factor and an external locus of control a risk factor for suicide attempts. In the present study, these four IAT-S versions are carried out with different groups of patients: patients with a suicide attempt (1), patients with suicide ideation (2) and patients with neither a suicide attempt nor suicide ideation (3). This cross sectional design allows us to test for group differences in regard to unconscious implicit associations. Hypothesis are described separately for each version of the IAT-S. Death association: patients in group 1 will have a higher implicit association between self and death than patients in group 2 and that patients in group 2 have a significantly higher implicit association between self and death than patients in group 3. Death evaluation: patients in group 1 will have more "positive" evaluations of "death" than patients in group 2 and patients in group 2 have a more "positive" evaluations of death than patients in group 3. Locus of control: patients in group 1 will have a stronger association between internal locus of control and death (a) and external locus of control and life (b) than patients in group 2, and that patients in group 2 have a significantly stronger association between internal locus of control and death (a) and external locus of control and life (b) than patients in group 3.

Tracking Information