The Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure as a Measure of Implicit Depression and the Role of Psychological Flexibility

A broad implicit measure of depressive emotional reactions was created by mapping the content of the depression scale from the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) on to the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP). Participants were asked to relate pairings of antecedents and emotional reactions that followed the formula “When X happens . . . I feel Y.” Groups of participants representing the low and high extremes of normative levels of depressive symptoms completed an IRAP before and after a sad mood–induction procedure. At baseline both groups produced a positive emotional response bias on the IRAP. After the sad mood induction, the “normal” group showed no change, whereas the “mild/moderate” depression group showed a significant decrease in the positivity of their emotional responses. A similar pattern of differential change was found when groups were created using scores on the AAQ-II. The findings are related to the broader literature on cognitive reactivity and implications for future research are considered.

► An implicit measure of depression was created using the IRAP. ► Participants were assessed before and after a sad mood induction procedure. ► Only the high depression group showed reductions in their implicit positivity. ► Similar pattern of change found when groups created found using psychological flexibility (AAQ) scores. ► Inflexible/unstable brief and immediate relational responding may play a role in psychopathology.