Application of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) to Evaluate Bias Related to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) within Child Welfare
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-4409.2024.13.13Keywords:
Child welfare, Implicit bias, implicit relational assessment procedure IRAP, intimate partner violence IPVAbstract
Problematic bias evidenced by child welfare professionals in relation to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) victimization can negatively impact outcomes for children and families in the foster care system. The literature supports malleability of IPV-related bias in response to training interventions. These studies rely heavily on self-report measures. Self-report tools capture extended responses (explicit bias). These measures are less likely to reflect immediate responses (implicit bias). Combining explicit and implicit measures may inform a more comprehensive understanding.
Purpose of Study: We employed a multi-method protocol to measure bias evidenced by dependency professionals in relation to IPV victimization. Method: Participants completed the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure - Intimate Partner Violence (IRAP-IPV), an explicit analog of the IRAP-IV, and a gender-neutral version of the Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance Scale (GN-DVMAS).
Principle Results: Results show expected divergence between explicit and implicit measures, with stronger positive valuation reflected on the explicit tools. We compared IRAP-IPV scores across in person and virtual groups. While statistical analyses indicate no significant between-group differences, divergence is evident upon visual inspection.
Conclusion: This study supports the importance of multi-method measurement when evaluating IPV-related bias. We discuss results in terms of social and contextual factors within child welfare that may influence how dependency professionals respond to IPV. We offer recommendations for promoting a more equitable child welfare experience for victim-survivors, their families, and the professionals who serve them.
References
Baker, Timothy K., Gregory S. Smith, Negar N. Jacobs, RamonaHoumanfar,RobbynTolles, Deborah Kuhls, and Melissa Piasecki. 2016. “A Deeper Look at Implicit Weight Bias in Medical Students.” Advances in Health Sciences Education 22(4):889-900. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-016-9718-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-016-9718-1
Barnes-Holmes, Dermot, Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, Patricia Power, Eilish Hayden, Rebecca Milne, and Ian Stewart. 2006. “Do you Really Know what you Believe? Developing the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a Direct Measure of Implicit Beliefs.” The Irish Psychologist32(7):169-177.
Barnes-Holmes, Dermot, Aisling Murphy, Yvonne Barnes-Holmes, and Ian Stewart. 2010. "The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure: Exploring the Impact of Private versus Public Contexts and the Response Latency Criterion on Pro-white and Anti-black Stereotyping among White Irish Individuals." The Psychological Record 60(1):57-79. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395694 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395694
Bast, Diana. F. and Barnes-Holmes, D. 2015.“Developing the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a Measure of Self-forgiveness related to Failing and Succeeding Behaviors.” The Psychological Record 65:189–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-014-0100-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-014-0100-5
Bast, Diana Ferroni, Ila Marques Porto Linares, Caina Gomes, Roberta Kovac, and Dermot Barnes-Holmes. 2016. “TheImplicitRelational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a Measure of Self-forgiveness: The Impact of a Training History in Clinical Behavior Analysis.” The Psychological Record 66(1):77–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-016-0162-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-016-0162-7
Bast, Diana Ferroni, Christina Lyons, Ian Stewart, Thomas Connor, Michelle Kelly, and Celso Goyos. 2020. “The effect of Educational Messages on Implicit and Explicit Attitudes towards Individuals on the Autism Spectrum versus Normally Developing Individuals.” The Psychological Record 70(1):123-145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-019-00363-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-019-00363-4
Bell, Kathryn M., and Amy E. Naugle. 2005. “Understanding Stay/Leave Decisions in Violent Relationships: A Behavior Analytic Approach.” Behavior and Social Issues14:21-46. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v14i1.119 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v14i1.119
Bruster, Belinda E., Tiffany Y. Lane, and Belinda D. Smith. 2019. “Challenging Implicit Bias: Preparing Students to Practice with African American Families.”Social Work Education 38(5):654- 665. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2019.1594753 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2019.1594753
Buranosky, Raquel, Rachel Hess, Melissa A. McNeil, Allison M. Aiken, and Judy C. Chang. 2012. “Once is Not Enough: Effective Strategies for Medical Student Education on Intimate Partner Violence.” Violence Against Women18(10):1192-1212. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801212465154 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801212465154
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. n.d. “Preventing Intimate Partner Violence.” https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html
De Houwer, Jan. 2019. “Implicit Bias is Behavior: A Functional-cognitive Perspective on Implicit Bias.” Perspectives on Psychological Science14(5):835–840. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619855638 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619855638
Donnelly, Elizabeth A., Karen Oehme, and Rebecca Melvin. 2016.“What do EMS Personnel Think about Domestic Violence? An Exploration of Attitudes and Experiences after Participation in Training.” Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine38:64–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2015.11.020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2015.11.020
Drake, Chad E., R. Trent Codd III, and Christeine Terry. 2018. “Assessing the Validity of Implicit and Explicit Measures of Stigma toward Clients with Substance Use Disorders among Mental Health Practitioners.” Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science8(1):44–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.03.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.03.005
Drake, Chad E., Sunni Primeaux, and Jorden Thomas. 2018. “Comparing Implicit Gender Stereo types between Women and Men with the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure.” Gender Issues 35:3-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-017-9189-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-017-9189-6
Driskell, Lynda. 2008. “Predictors of Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance in Forensic Mental Health Specialists.” PhDdissertation, Northeastern Oklahoma State University.
Edleson, Jeffrey L., Narae Shin, and Katy K. Johnson Armendariz. 2008. “Measuring Children’s Exposure to Domestic Violence: The Development and Testing of the Child Exposure to Domestic Violence (CEDV) Scale.” Children and Youth Services Review 30(5):502–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.11.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.11.006
Eilers, Heidi J. 2019. “The Utility of a Function-based Approach to Intimate Partner Violence and Gender Bias in Family Courts.” Behavior Analysis in Practice12(4):869–878. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-019-00383-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-019-00383-0
Ewen, Brenda M. 2007. “Failure to Protect Laws: Protecting Children or Punishing Mothers?” Journal of Forensic Nursing 3(2):84–86. https://doi.org/10.1097/01263942-200706000-00006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01263942-200706000-00006
Faul, Franz, Edgar Erdfelder, Albert-Georg Lang, and Axel Buchner. 2007. “GPower 3: A Flexible Statistical Power Analysis Program for the Social, Behavioral, and Biomedical Sciences.” Behavior Research Methods39(2):175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146
Ferrer-Perez, Victoria A., Esperanza Bosch-Fiol, Virginia Ferreiro-Basurto, Carmen Delgado-Alvarez, and Andrés Sánchez-Prada. 2020. “Comparing Implicit and Explicit Attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence against Women.” Frontiers in Psychology 11:2147–2147. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02147 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02147
Ferrer-Perez, Victoria A., Andrés Sánchez-Prada, Carmen Delgado-Álvarez, and Esperanza Bosch-Fiol. 2020. “TheGender Violence-Implicit Association Test to Measure Attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence against Women.” Psicologia, Reflexão e Crítica 33(1):27–27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-020-00165-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-020-00165-6
Ferroni-Bast, Diana, Jane Fitzpatrick, Ian Stewart, and Celso Goyos. 2019. “Using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a Measure of Reaction to Perceived Failure and the Effects of a DefusionIntervention in this Context.” The Psychological Record 69(4):551-563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-019-00349-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-019-00349-2
Fleming, Jessica C., and Cortney A. Franklin. 2021. “Predicting Police Endorsement of Myths Surrounding Intimate Partner Violence.” Journal of Family Violence 36:407–416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-020-00178-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-020-00178-w
Foster, Alison. 2012. “The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure and the Role of Context: The Impact of Working with Sex Offenders.” PhD dissertation, University of Lincoln.
Gainsburg, Izzy, and Allison Earl. 2018. “Trigger Warnings as an Interpersonal Emotion-regulation Tool: Avoidance, Attention, and Affect Depend on Beliefs.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 79:252-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2018.08.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2018.08.006
Golijani-Moghaddam, Nima, Aidan Hart, and David L. Dawson. 2013. “The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure: Emerging Reliability and Validity Data.”Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science2:105–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2013.05.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2013.05.002
Hooper, Nic, Matthieu Villatte, EviNeofotistou, and Louise McHugh.2010. “The Effects of Mindfulness versus Thought Suppression on Implicit and Explicit Measures of Experiential Avoidance.” International Journal of Behavioral and Consultation Therapy 6(3):233-244. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0100910 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0100910
Hughes, Judy, Shirley Chau, and Deborah C. Poff. 2011. “They're Not my FavouritePeople:What Mothers who have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence Say about Involvement in the Child Protection System.” Children and Youth Services Review 33(7):1084-1089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.01.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.01.015
Hussey, Ian, Dermot Barnes-Holmes, and Yvonne Barnes-Holmes. 2015. “From Relational Frame Theory to Implicit Attitudes and Back Again: Clarifying the Link between RFT and IRAP Research.” Current Opinions in Psychology 2:11-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.12.009
Hussey, Ian, DearbhaileNíMhaoileoin, Dermot Barnes-Holmes, TomuOhtsuki, Naoko Kishita, Sean Hughes, and Carol Murphy. 2016. “The IRAP is Nonrelative but Not Acontextual: Changes to the Contrast Category Influence Men’s Dehumanization of Women.” The Psychological Record 66(2):291–299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-016-0171-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-016-0171-6
Iliffe, Gillian, and Lyndall G. Steed. 2000. “Exploring the Counselor’s Experience of Working with Perpetrators and Survivors of Domestic Violence.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 15(4):393–412. https://doi.org/10.1177/088626000015004004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/088626000015004004
Jenney, Angelique, Faye Mishna, Ramona Alaggia, and Katreena Scott.2014. “Doing the Right Thing? (Re) Considering Risk Assessment and Safety Planning in Child Protection Work with Domestic Violence Cases.”Children and Youth Services Review 47(1):92-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.07.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.07.015
Kelly, Amanda and Dermot Barnes-Holmes. 2013. “Implicit Attitudes towards Children with Autism versus Normally Developing Children as Predictors of Professional Burnout and Psychopathology.” Research in Developmental Disabilities 34(1):7-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2012.07.018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2012.07.018
Kishita, Naoko, Takashi Muto, TomuOhtsuki, and Dermot Barnes-Holmes. 2014. “Measuring the Effect of Cognitive Defusion Using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure: An Experimental Analysis with a Highly Socially Anxious Sample.” Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science 3(1):8–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2013.12.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2013.12.001
Maiuro, Roland D., Peter P. Vitaliano, Nancy K. Sugg, Diane C. Thompson, Frederick P. Rivara, and Robert S. Thompson. 2000. “Development of a Health Care Provider Survey for Domestic Violence: Psychometric Properties.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 19(4):245–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(00)00230-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(00)00230-0
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. n.d. “Statistics.” https://ncadv.org/statistics
Notestine, Lori E., Christine E. Murray, L. DiAnne Borders, and Terry A. Ackerman.2017. “Counselors' Attributions of Blame toward Female Survivors of Battering.” Journal of Mental Health Counseling 39(1):56-70. https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.39.1.05 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.39.1.05
Perrin, Ruth L. 2017. “Overcoming Biased Views of Gender and Victimhood in Custody Evaluations when Domestic Violence is Alleged.”The American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law 25(2):155-177.
Peters, Jay. 2003. “The Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance Scale: Developmental and Psychometric Testing of a New Instrument.” PhD dissertation, University of Maine. https://doi.org/10.1037/t05993-000 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/t05993-000
Peters, Jay. 2008. “Measuring Myths about Domestic Violence: Development and Initial Validation of the Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance Scale.” Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma 16(1):1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926770801917780 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10926770801917780
Salsberg, Edward, Leo Quigley, Nicholas Mehfoud, Kimberly D. Acquaviva, Karen Wyche, and Shari Silwa. 2017. “Profile of the Social Work Workforce: A Report to Council on Social Work Education and National Workforce Initiative Steering Committee.” The George Washington University Health Workforce Institute and School of Nursing.
Sanchez-Prada, Andrés, Carmen Delgado-Alvarez, Esperanza Bosch-Fiol, and Victoria A. Ferrer-Perez.2021. “Implicitand Explicit Attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: An Exploratory Study.”Journal of Interpersonal Violence 36(9-10):4256–4276. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518789903 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518789903
Saunders, Daniel G., and Deborah Anderson. 2000. “Evaluation of a Domestic Violence Training for Child Protection Workers and Supervisors: Initial Results. Children and Youth Services Review 22(5):373-395. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0190-7409(00)00086-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0190-7409(00)00086-4
Scanlon, Geraldine., &Yvonne Barnes-Holmes. 2013.“Changing Attitudes: Supporting Teachers in Effectively Including Students with Emotional and BehaviouralDifficulties in Mainstream Education.” Emotional &Behavioural Difficulties 18(4):74-395. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632752.2013.769710 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13632752.2013.769710
Sereno, Michelle, Robyn. M.Catagnus, Annette G. Griffith, andHeidi Eilers. 2023. “A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies Measuring Training Effects on Negative Biases Held by Professionals Toward Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse25(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231171186 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231171186
Sereno, Michelle, Jennifer Quigley, and Gregory S. Smith. 2022. “A Systematic Review of the Use of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) to Assess Implicit Biases Held by Professionals Toward Client Populations.” Research on Social Work Practice32(1):73-91. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315211009597 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315211009597
Smith, Gregory S., Ramona A. Houmanfar, Negar Nicole Jacobs, Mary Froehlich, Alison J. Szarko, Brooke M. Smith, Markus Kemmelmeier, Timothy K. Baker, Melissa Piasecki, and Thomas L. Schwenk. 2021. “Assessment of Medical Student Burnout: Toward an Implicit Measure to Address Current Issues.”Advances in Health Sciences Education1-12.
Staniec, Rachael. 2019. “Health Professionals' Implicit Attitudes Towards Dementia.” PhDdissertation, The University of Nottingham.
Stockwell, Fawna M.J, Lauren S. Hopkins, and Diana J. Walker.2017. “Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Toward Mainstream and BDSM Sexual Practices and their Relation to Interviewer Behavior: An Analog Study.” Psychological Record 67:435-446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-017-0225-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-017-0225-4
Tarzia, Laura, Jacqui Cameron, Jotara Watson, Renee Fiolet, Surriya Baloch, Rebecca Robertson, Minerva Kyei-Onanjiri, Gemma McKibbin, and Kelsey Hegarty. 2021. “Personal Barriers to Addressing Intimate Partner Abuse: A Qualitative Meta-synthesis of Healthcare Practitioners’ Experiences.” BMC Health Services Research 21(567). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06582-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06582-2
Wong, Yuk-Lin Renita, and Jana Vinsky.2021. “Beyond Implicit Bias: Embodied Cognition, Mindfulness, and Critical Reflective Practice in Social Work.” Australian SocialWork 74(2):186–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2020.1850816 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2020.1850816
WootanMerkling, Ariel. 2014. “Dispelling Domestic Violence Myths among Graduate Social Work Students.” PhD dissertation, Colorado State University.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Policy for Journals/Articles with Open Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post links to their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work
Policy for Journals / Manuscript with Paid Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Publisher retain copyright .
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post links to their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work .
