Development of an implicit overall well-being measure using the Implicit Association Test.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychological Assessment

Background:

• Traditional well-being assessment relies on questionnaires and scales, which, despite reliability and validity, have limitations.
• There is a need for complementary methods to enhance the accuracy and depth of well-being evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel instrument, the Implicit Overall Well-Being Measure (IOWBM), as a complementary tool for assessing well-being.
• To adapt the Implicit Association Test (IAT) for measuring implicit associations between the self and well-being-related concepts.

Main Methods:

• The Implicit Association Test (IAT) was adapted to create the Implicit Overall Well-Being Measure (IOWBM).
• Three studies were conducted: assessing internal consistency and temporal reliability, examining correlations with explicit measures, and testing validity by comparing implicit well-being in individuals with and without traumatic memories.

Main Results:

• The IOWBM demonstrated good internal consistency and adequate temporal reliability in the initial study.
• Correlations between the IOWBM and explicit well-being measures were weak.
• Individuals recalling traumatic memories exhibited significantly lower implicit well-being scores compared to a control group.

Conclusions:

• The Implicit Overall Well-Being Measure (IOWBM) shows promise as a reliable and valid complementary tool for assessing implicit well-being.
• The measure is sensitive to psychological states, as evidenced by lower implicit well-being in individuals exposed to traumatic memories.
• Further research is warranted to explore the IOWBM's utility alongside traditional explicit measures in diverse populations.