title: It is not just memory: propositional thinking influences performance on the autobiographical IAT.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) is a variant of the Implicit Association Test reportedly capable of detecting an individual's concealed autobiographical event with very high accuracy. A previous attempt to utilize this measurement technique for the identification of cocaine users rendered an alarming rate of false positives. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential reasons behind the measurement's inaccuracy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two versions of the cocaine aIAT were devised with different category labels (descriptive 'guilty/innocent' and self-referenced 'as if you were/were not'). Forty-one cocaine abstinent participants (43.9% male; mean age = 28.17 ± 7.36) were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions. Self-declared cocaine abstinence was confirmed for the 12-month period preceding data collection through hair analysis. Participants were also administered bespoke implicit and explicit cocaine user attitude measures, the self-esteem IAT and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The category labels which elicited self-referenced knowledge showed low accuracy (19%) compared to the 65% of the 'guilty/innocent' labels proposed by original authors. The self-referenced aIAT version significantly correlated with the self-concept measures. The aIAT outcomes were independent from attitudes toward cocaine users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Category labels play an influential role in determining the test's accuracy, demonstrating that participants' propositional knowledge and self-concept are involved during test performance. The aIAT does not appear to tap directly into an individual's implicit memory when relevant memory is not available. Although the test cannot be recommended for detecting drug use, further research should investigate underlying mechanisms and other potentials of the technique.
authors.affiliation: Kingston University, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: k1164677@kingston.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Elisabeth Julie
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Vargo
authors.affiliation: Kingston University, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petróczi
authors.affiliation: Kingston University, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Iltaf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Kingston University, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Declan P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Naughton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine
keywords: Attitudes; Autobiographical IAT; Cocaine; Hair; Self-concept