A pilot study of the relations within which hearing voices participates : towards a functional distinction between voice hearers and controls

The current research used the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a preliminary step toward bringing a broad, functional approach to understanding psychosis, by focusing on the specific phenomenon of auditory hallucinations of voices and sounds (often referred to as hearing voices). On this path, we created a taxonomy of some critical features of voice hearing based on the existing literature (i.e., perceived normality of voices, appraisals of self and other people hearing voices, and fear of voices) as a focus of our experimental manipulations. It was our hope that our findings would add to the broad literature that has used explicit measures to study these phenomena, and that the use of an 'implicit' measure might assist toward a functional analytic understanding. Three pilot studies were conducted to assess the relations within which hearing voices participates in non-clinical voice hearers (i.e., individuals who hear voices but have no clinical diagnosis or distress) and compared to non-voice hearing control participants. The IRAP effects demonstrated both positive and negative relational responses across the three studies, and these effects varied according to explicit levels of delusional ideation. Furthermore, these IRAP effects also predicted explicit aspects of voice hearing and well-being. The current set of pilot studies demonstrate the utility and precision of the IRAP in this domain, and we propose that this type of experimental analysis may hold potential for future bottom-up functional analyses of voice hearing

Using the IRAP to explore natural language statements

This study explored a modification to the typical presentation of label and target stimuli on Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) effects. We asked whether combining the labels and targets into a single phrase would influence performances. The key purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility of altering the way in which stimuli are presented within the IRAP, so as to potentially employ more complex natural language-like statements in future research. In the Typical IRAP employed here, labels and targets were presented as separate words, while in the Natural Language IRAP they were combined to form a single statement. The results demonstrated no substantive differences in the effects recorded on both types of IRAP, thus supporting the future use of a Natural Language version

Teaching Derived Relational Responding to Young Children

Although it employs a relatively small array of behavioral concepts and processes, Relational Frame Theory provides an account of how some of the most complex verbal events can be understood behaviorally and may be established systematically. In the current paper, the findings from a research agenda that has clear and widespread implications for educational practice are summarized. This exciting research initiative consists of studies in which both simple and relatively complex forms of derived relational responding have been targeted for assessment and remediation using interventions driven by Relational Frame Theory. A key theme running throughout the diverse content covered in this research program is the role of a basic understanding of relational responding in the teaching of critical cognitive or verbal repertoires in children. The article argues that identifying the core relational units involved in these cognitive skills, and targeting their fluid and flexible development with appropriate training, will lead to significant improvements in the methods used in many educational settings

Understanding Perspective-taking, False Belief, and Deception from a Behavioural Perspective

Perspective-taking, understanding false belief and deception are considered by mainstream psychologists to be critical for competent cognitive development. Theory of Mind researchers, in particular, have devoted considerable attention to these cognitive domains. By contrast, these phenomena have traditionally attracted little or no interest from behavioural psychologists. This situation, however, has begun to change in recent years with behavioural researchers working under the rubric of Relational Frame Theory devoting considerable effort to empirical analyses of these cognitive abilities. The current paper reviews some of the first empirical evidence generated by the relational frame approach to perspective-taking, false belief and deception as related relational skills. The results of this work show considerable overlap with more traditional Theory of Mind findings, and thus suggest that these topics may be an important area of integration between these two disparate traditions. Additional evidence from studies in which specific relational repertoires were targeted for remediation when perspective-taking, false belief and deception were found to be absent also suggest the applicability of the relational frame interpretation of these abilities. Although much more work needs to be done, current empirical evidence suggests that from both conceptual and applied perspectives, the relational frame approach to these phenomena may be an important and fruitful avenue for future research

Testing the validity of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure and the Implicit Association Test: Measuring attitudes toward Dublin and country life in Ireland

The current study aimed to test the validity of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP), as compared to the Implicit Association Test (IAT), by assessing the attitudes of Dublin dwellers and rural dwellers toward Dublin and country life. Discrimination between the two groups for the IAT was marginally significant. The IRAP discriminated significantly between the two groups based on an interaction effect, which showed that rural dwellers had a strong bias toward country life but Dublin dwellers did not show the same bias toward Dublin life. The IRAP data correlated moderately with the explicit measures, but the IAT did not. The findings support the IRAP as a potentially useful measure of implicit attitudes