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Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment
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*Child Sexual Abuse
*Family Issues
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Assessing the Implicit Beliefs of Sexual Offenders Using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure

A First Study

David L. Dawson

Lincolnshire Partnership Trust, UK, david.dawson18{at}gmail.com

Dermot Barnes-Holmes

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

David M. Gresswell

University of Lincoln, UK

Aidan J. Hart

University of Lincoln, UK

Nick J. Gore

University of Kent, UK

Researchers have proposed that the cognitive distortions of sexual offenders are underpinned by a number of implicit cognitive processes termed implicit theories. Until recently, however, the implicit theory hypothesis has received little empirical support due to broader limitations with standard forensic assessment procedures. The current research aimed to determine whether a new assessment methodology, the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP), could provide further evidence for Ward and Keenan's (1999) children as sexual beings implicit theory. The results indicated that the IRAP was significantly more effective at identifying core implicit differences between sexual offenders against children and nonoffenders than a cognitive distortion questionnaire. Furthermore, although both groups demonstrated an overall response bias towards adults as sexual and children as nonsexual, this bias was significantly impaired in the sexual offender group. The findings are discussed in relation to previous implicit theory research and recommendations for the development of implicit methodologies are made.

Key Words: implicit beliefs • cognitive distortions • sexual offending • Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure

Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, Vol. 21, No. 1, 57-75 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1079063208326928
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