O Teste de Associação Implícita para avaliação da preferência profissional em psicologia / The Implicit Association Test (IAT) for professional preference in Psychology / La Prueba de Asociación Implícita (TAI) para la elección profesional en Psicología

Muitas vezes na orientação profissional o processo é focado em aspectos conscientes e explícitos das pessoas avaliadas. O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi desenvolver uma medida de atitude implícita (TAI) frente a áreas da psicologia e testar sua solidez psicométrica, de forma a prover instrumentos de apoio à orientação profissional e à pesquisa sobre a mensuração desse tipo de fenômeno. Foram conduzidos dois estudos com amostras diversificadas. Identificou-se que os instrumentos apresentaram qualidades psicométricas aceitáveis e evidências favoráveis de validade. Considera-se que o TAI desenvolvido apresentou qualidades psicométricas aceitáveis e é uma contribuição para o estudo da escolha profissional e orientação profissional, aumentando o conjunto de técnicas disponíveis para avaliação psicológica neste contexto.

Often, the career counseling process focuses on the conscious and explicit aspects of the evaluated people. The aim of this study was to develop a measure of implicit attitude towards areas of psychology and test its psychometric strength in order to provide tools to support career counseling. Two studies were conducted in different samples. It was identified that the instruments showed acceptable psychometric properties and favorable evidence of validity. It is considered that the developed IAT had acceptable psychometric properties and is a contribution to the study of career choice and career counseling, adding to the set of available techniques for psychological evaluation in this context.

A menudo, el proceso de orientación profesional se centra en los aspectos conscientes y explícitos de las personas evaluadas. El objetivo de este estudio fue desarrollar una medida de la actitud implícita (TAI) ante áreas de la psicología y probar su fuerza psicométrica con el fin de proporcionar herramientas de apoyo a la orientación profesional y a la investigación sobre la medición de este tipo de fenómeno. Se realizaron dos estudios en diversas muestras. Se identificó que los instrumentos mostraron propiedades psicométricas aceptables y evidencia de validez favorable. Se considera que el TAI desarrollado presentó propiedades psicométricas aceptables y es una contribución al estudio de la elección y la orientación profesional, ampliando el conjunto de técnicas disponibles para la evaluación psicológica en este contexto.

Investigating the association between valence and elevation with an implicit association task that requires upward and downward responding / Investigando la asociación entre la valencia y la elevación con una tarea de asociación implícita que requiere respuestas ascendentes y descendentes

In three experiments (total N = 96), we investigated the origins of effects of associations between affective valence and spatial elevation (or verti-cality). To that end, we used a congruence measure. We used spatial and affective stimuli, like the words "up" and "happy". Spatial stimuli had to be categorized as elevated or less elevated and affective stimuli as positive or negative. Critically, in congruent conditions, associated spatial and affective stimuli required the same response and less associated stimuli required different responses, whereas in incongruent conditions, associated spatial and affective stimuli required different responses, but less associated stimuli required the same response. The results supported the assumption that valence-elevation associations exist in semantic memory: faster responses in congruent than incongruent conditions were observed with (I) words (Experiments 1 and 2), (II) pictures and words (Experiment 3), and (III) increased as a function of the centrality of the spatial meaning for the spatial words (Experiments 1 vs. 2). We discuss the implications of our results for the Implicit Association Test (IAT).

En tres experimentos (N = 96) se investigaron los orígenes de los efectos de las asociaciones entre la valencia afectiva y la elevación espacial (o verticalidad). Para tal fin, se utilizó una medida de congruencia. Se usaron estímulos espaciales y afectivos, como las palabras "arriba" y "feliz". Los estímulos espaciales tenían que ser categorizados como elevados o menos elevados y los estímulos afectivos como positivos o negativos. En las condiciones congruentes, los estímulos asociados espacial y afectivamente requerían la misma respuesta y los estímulos menos asociados diferentes respuestas, mientras que en las condiciones incongruentes, los estímulos asociados requerían respuestas diferentes, y los estímulos menos asociados la misma respuesta. Los resultados apoyaron la hipótesis de que existen asociaciones de valencia-elevación en la memoria semántica. Se observaron respuestas más rápidas en las condiciones congruentes que en las incongruentes con (1) palabras (Experimentos 1 y 2), (II) imágenes y palabras (Experimento 3), y (III) incrementando en función de la centralidad del significado espacial de las palabras espaciales (such as the present one a Experimentos 1 vs 2). Se discuten las implicaciones de nuestros resultados para el Test de Asociación Implícita (IAT).

Avaliação de medidas implícitas e explícitas de carreira e gênero / Evaluating implicit and explicit measures of career and gender / Evaluación de las medidas implícitas y explícitas de carrera y de género

Mudanças recentes no mundo do trabalho apontam a existência simultânea de padrões de carreira e gênero tradicionais e modernos. Como consequência há uma discrepância entre as rápidas transformações e as menos ágeis mudanças nas atitudes sobre esses temas. Porém nem sempre é possível acessar tais atitudes através de medidas explícitas. O presente estudo teve por objetivo criar e validar uma medida de associação implícita de carreira e gênero, além de comparar atitudes implícitas e explícitas em relação a esses temas. Cinquenta universitários (29 mulheres) com média de 22 anos responderam o teste de associação implícita (TAI) carreira-gênero e duas questões abertas sobre o papel de homens e mulheres no mercado de trabalho. Os resultados indicaram que o TAI é capaz de identificar vieses associando mulheres e carreiras modernas e homens e carreiras tradicionais, além de caracterizar diferenças de viés entre homens e mulheres, com e sem experiência prévia de trabalho.

Recent changes in the world of work have shown the existence of simultaneous patterns of traditional and modern career and gender. As a consequence there is a gap between the rapid transformations and the less agile changes in attitudes about those themes. However, not always is possible to access those attitudes through explicit measures. The present study had the objective to create and validate an implicit association measure of career and gender, and also to compare implicit and explicit attitudes related to those themes. Fifty undergraduate students (29 women) with an average of 22 years old answered the test of implicit association (IAT) career-gender, and two open questions about the roles of men and women in the work market. The results indicated that the IAT is capable to identify tendencies associating women and modern career and also men and traditional career. It was also possible to characterize differences of tendencies between men and women, with and without work experience.

Cambios recientes en el mundo laboral señalan que existen al mismo tiempo padrones de carrera y género tradicionales y modernos. Como consecuencia hay una divergencia entre las rápidas transformaciones y los cambios menos ágiles que ocurren en las actitudes sobre estos temas. Sin embargo, no siempre se puede tener acceso a dichas actitudes a través de medidas explícitas. Así, el presente estudio tuvo como objetivo crear y validar una medida de asociación implícita de carrera y género, además de comparar actitudes implícitas y explícitas con relación a estos temas. Cincuenta estudiantes universitarios (29 mujeres) con media de 22 años respondieron al test de asociación implícita (TAI) carrera-género y a dos preguntas abiertas sobre el papel de hombres y mujeres en el mercado de trabajo. Los resultados indican que el TAI es capaz de identificar sesgos, percibiendo la asociación de la mujer and la carrera moderna, y los hombres y la carrera tradicional, además de caracterizar diferencias de sesgo entre hombres y mujeres, con y sin experiencia previa de trabajo.

Disociación entre atribución de discapacidad explícita e implícita hacia adultos mayores en estudiantes de psicología / Dissociation between psychology student's implicit and explicit disability atribution to elders

Los adultos mayores son objeto de estereotipos negativos que pueden explorarse por medidas explícitas e implícitas. Dado que existen discrepancias entre ambas, es conveniente combinarlas. Son escasos los estudios sobre atribución de discapacidad hacia adultos mayores por parte de jóvenes en el ámbito educativo. El objetivo del estudio que se informa fue evaluar si existe una disociación entre las medidas implícitas y explícitas de atribución de discapacidad hacia adultos mayores en una cohorte de estudiantes de la Carrera de Psicología. Las actitudes explícitas se estudiaron con el Test de Evaluación de Actitudes hacia Adultos Mayores (EVAAM) y las implícitas, con un test de asociación implícita (TAI) en relación con categorías de capacidad / discapacidad, en combinaciones congruentes e incongruentes. Se correlacionaron ambas pruebas para verificar el grado de disociación entre ellos. Como resultado se observó que en el TAI, la combinación incongruente (capacidad + vejez) tuvo mayor tamaño de efecto implícito que la congruente (capacidad + juventud), demostrando la existencia de una atribución automática de discapacidad hacia adultos mayores. Los valores para la escala explícita fueron mejores y no correlacionaron con el TAI. Así se concluye que los adultos mayores reciben una atribución automática de discapacidad por parte de los estudiantes de Psicología, que no coincide con su preferencia explícita. Esto podría deberse a la intención de agradabilidad de los jóvenes, a la falta de introspección sobre representaciones implícitas o a una independencia de las representaciones explícitas e implícitas. Queda por considerar si las atribuciones implícitas y explícitas forman diferentes constructos, o son parte de uno solo, con valores positivos en el polo voluntario y negativos en el involuntario.

Negative attributions toward elders are a paramount feature creating an unfavorable trait which manifests itself as stereotypes and discriminatory behaviors. This turns to be more critical when those misattributions are covertly distributed in the general population. Negative attributions toward elders are greater than younger when comparing both groups, and are dependent on several factors such as amount of information provided, coherence of the data, age and even the year when the search was carried on, as recent studies show less differences between elders and young attributions compared with older ones, particularly on explicit measures. Probably this reflects the more acceptability and tolerance exhibited by new cohorts toward different social groups in such areas as ethnics, religion or sexuality. It is obvious that elders stereotypes must be explored using not only explicit but also implicit measures, which reveal more clearly automatic associations and attributions toward key social groups. As there are sound differences between both kinds of assessments, combination is highly recommended. There are few studies that have accomplished the investigation of disability attribution toward elders by young subjects in the field of Education using Implicit Association Tests (IAT). This may prove useful as ageism exists in the Psychology Career Programs, being studies about elders under-represented in the programs contents. Objectives: To evaluate whether dissociation between implicit and explicit disability attribution measures exists in a cohort of young university psychology students. Methods and instruments: 210 subjects were included in the study (121 female and 89 men), who were recruited from students attending regular courses at the Faculty of Psychology on the city of Rosario (Argentina), aged from 24 to 29-year-old. Implicit attributions were assessed with the IAT that measures automatic association's strength between two core concepts (in the present study abilities /disabilities) and the two poles of an evaluative dimension (elderhood / youth). Stimulus are displayed on a computer screen and the subject has to associate core concept and attribute dimension faster when both are of equal valence (shorter latency). Subjects holding strong association between disability and elderhood have faster responses when those share the same key that has to be pressed to accomplish a valid answer. Latency spread between congruent (ability / youth) and incongruent (ability / elderhood) associations is accounted for the automatic strength of the implicit effect. Explicit attitudes were studied with the Attitudes toward Elders Evaluation Test and implicit ones using the Implicit Association Test with ability / disability categories in congruent and incongruent combinations. Both tests were correlated to disclose any dissociation between them. Dependent variable to measure implicit attitudes was the value of d which represents the size of the implicit effect between congruent and incongruent condition. A 2 (cate gories) x 2 (attributes) x 2 (dimensions) matrix was used, and independent variables were rotated between participants. Valence of attributes ranged from positive to negative and were associated with categories using as control factor the order of task congruence (block 3 congruent and block 6 incongruent). Dependent variable for explicit attitudes was the overall mean answers of the EVAAM (Adult Evaluation Scale). Results: In the IAT, the incongruent combination (ability old age) had a greater implicit size effect than the congruent one (ability youth), showing the existence of an automatic disability attribution toward elders. Results in the explicit scale were better and didn't correlate with IAT. Conclusions: Elders receive a Psychology student's automatic disability attribution, which doesn't match their explicit preference. This may be due to young students' agreeability intention, lack of introspection on implicit representations, or explicit and implicit representations independence. It remains to be investigated whether explicit and implicit attributions belong to different constructs or to only one, with positive values in the voluntary pole and negative values in the involuntary pole.