Developing the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a Measure of Self-Forgiveness Related to Failing and Succeeding Behaviors

This study aimed to develop the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a measure of response biases related to emotional reactions and expected outcomes in the context of minor failings and successes in everyday life. Additionally, the research explored the extent to which such implicit reactions were related to standardized measures of psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, stress, and a scale that was based directly on the IRAP. Sixty undergraduates completed two IRAPs and the explicit measures. The pattern of biases observed across the implicit and explicit measures diverged, and the correlations between the two types of measures were either absent or relatively weak. The results suggest that implicit measures may provide an additional source of information concerning self-forgiveness beyond that provided by explicit self-report measures per se.