School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK.
Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2013 Jun 14;8:22. doi: 10.1186/1747-597X-8-22.
The autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) is a novel application of the implicit association concept for detecting life events. It has been used to reveal concealed knowledge in clinical and forensic settings, including detecting drug use. In this study, we aimed to explore the functionality of the aIAT to identify drug use in real-world settings.
The study used mixed methodology with known groups of drug users and nonusers. Recreational cocaine users (n = 23) and non-users (n = 23) were recruited through ethnographic methodology and assessed using a bespoke brief aIAT for cocaine use. An identical aIAT test for heroin detection was also administered to a sub-sample of 10 cocaine users and 13 nonusers. The accuracy of the cocaine aIAT was measured through ROC analysis. Paradoxical aIAT results were explored by integrating craving, consumption measures and life-story interviews into the analysis.
Whilst the two brief aIATs showed good concurrent validity for cocaine users by accurately detecting drug using status for 18 of the 23 users (78.3%), the test falsely reported 61% cocaine users in the non-user comparison group. The average D-scores were 0.257±0.246 for the cocaine users and 0.134±0.367 for the non-users, showing no discriminatory power (t(44) = 1.339, p = 0.187; AUC = 0.605, p = 0.223). Results were independent from craving and recent cocaine use. The comparison group's cocaine and heroin aIAT scores correlated significantly (r(13) = 0.776, p = 0.002) whilst an accurate absence of such relationship was evidenced in the cocaine using sample (r(10) = 0.061, p = 0.866). Triangulation with life-story interviews suggests that in the absence of an autobiographical event, this test may measure an alternative cognitive construct linked to the Self-concept.
The aIAT is a variant of an attitude measure and can be better rationalized if propositional thinking is implied to explain outcomes. The Relational Frame and Social Knowledge Structure theories can perhaps provide a more plausible theoretical background. Further work is required to clarify which factors underlie this testing technique's functioning. Reappraisal is advised before further forensic use of the instrument to ensure that general associations not related to autobiographical memory do not confound results.
自传体内隐联想测验（aIAT）是内隐联想测验概念在检测生活事件中的一种新应用。它已被用于揭示临床和法医学领域的隐藏知识，包括检测药物使用。在这项研究中，我们旨在探索 aIAT 在现实环境中识别药物使用的功能。
该研究采用混合方法，对药物使用者和非使用者进行了已知组的研究。通过民族志方法招募了娱乐性可卡因使用者（n=23）和非使用者（n=23），并使用专门的简短可卡因使用内隐联想测验对他们进行了评估。还对 10 名可卡因使用者和 13 名非使用者的亚样本进行了相同的海洛因检测内隐联想测验。通过 ROC 分析测量可卡因内隐联想测验的准确性。通过将渴望、消费措施和生活故事访谈整合到分析中，探索了矛盾的内隐联想测验结果。
虽然这两个简短的内隐联想测验通过准确地检测到 23 名使用者中的 18 名（78.3%）药物使用状态，显示出对可卡因使用者的良好的同时效度，但该测试错误地报告了 61%的非使用者为可卡因使用者。可卡因使用者的平均 D 分数为 0.257±0.246，非使用者的平均 D 分数为 0.134±0.367，没有显示出区分能力（t(44)=1.339，p=0.187；AUC=0.605，p=0.223）。结果与渴望和最近的可卡因使用无关。对照组的可卡因和海洛因内隐联想测验分数显著相关（r(13)=0.776，p=0.002），而在可卡因使用者样本中则没有这种关系的证据（r(10)=0.061，p=0.866）。与生活故事访谈的三角剖分表明，在没有自传体事件的情况下，该测试可能测量与自我概念相关的替代认知结构。
aIAT 是一种态度测量的变体，如果假设命题思维来解释结果，它可以得到更好的合理化。关联框架和社会知识结构理论或许可以为该理论提供更合理的理论背景。需要进一步的工作来澄清哪些因素是这种测试技术功能的基础。在进一步将该仪器用于法医用途之前，建议重新评估，以确保与自传体记忆无关的一般联想不会混淆结果。
