Detecting cocaine use? The autobiographical implicit association test (aIAT) produces false positives in a real-world setting.

ABSTRACT:

Background

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.

Methods

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 measu

SUBMITTER: Vargo EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3685584 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature