Implicit and explicit attitudes towards conventional and complementary and alternative medicine treatments: Introduction of an Implicit Association Test
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online June, 2016
Implicit and explicit attitudes towards conventional and complementary and alternative medicine treatments: Introduction of an Implicit Association Test
This study examined associations between anticipated future health behaviour and participants’ attitudes. Three Implicit Association Tests were developed to assess safety, efficacy and overall attitude. They were used to examine preference associations between conventional versus complementary and alternative medicine among 186 participants. A structural equation model suggested only a single implicit association, rather than three separate domains. However, this single implicit association predicted additional variance in anticipated future use of complementary and alternative medicine beyond explicit. Implicit measures should give further insight into motivation for complementary and alternative medicine use.
AgnieszkaOK (2013) Individual differences in cancer patients’ willingness to use complementary and alternative medicine. Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine22: 855–860.
2.
AyersSLKronenfeldJJ (2012) Delays in seeking conventional medical care and complementary and alternative medicine utilization. Health Services Research47: 2081–2096.
3.
BerryTRShieldsC (2014) Source attribution and credibility of health and appearance exercise advertisements: Relationship with implicit and explicit attitudes and intentions. Journal of Health Psychology19: 242–252.
4.
BornemanJP (2007) Use and Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by Populations with Specific Needs: Patients with Cancer, Breast Cancer, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Asthma. Philadelphia, PA: University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
5.
BrunelFFTietjeBCGreenwaldAG (2004) Is the implicit association test a valid and valuable measure of implicit consumer social cognition?Journal of Consumer Psychology14: 385–404.
6.
ClementYNWilliamsAFKhanK. (2005) A gap between acceptance and knowledge of herbal remedies by physicians: The need for educational intervention. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine5: 20.
7.
ConnerMTPeruginiMO’GormanR. (2007) Relations between implicit and explicit measures of attitudes and measures of behavior: Evidence of moderation by individual difference variables. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin33: 1727–1740.
8.
CzoppAMMonteithMJZimmermanRS. (2004) Implicit attitudes as potential protection from risky sex: Predicting condom use with the IAT. Basic and Applied Social Psychology26: 227–236.
9.
De BruijnGJKeerMConnerM. (2012) Using implicit associations towards fruit consumption to understand fruit consumption behaviour and habit strength relationships. Journal of Health Psychology17: 479–489.
10.
FaithJThorburnSTippensKM (2013) Examining CAM use disclosure using the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Complementary Therapies in Medicine21: 501–508.
11.
FieldMMoggKBradleyBP (2004) Cognitive bias and drug craving in recreational cannabis users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence74: 105–111.
12.
GlockSKovacsCUnzD (2014) Implicit attitudes toward smoking: How the smell of cigarettes influences responses of college-age smokers and nonsmokers. Journal of Health Psychology19: 629–641.
13.
GrandfieldTAThompsonARTurpinG (2005) An attitudinal study of responses to a range of dermatological conditions using the implicit association test. Journal of Health Psychology10: 821–829.
14.
GrayBOrrockP (2014) Investigation into factors influencing roles, relationships, and referrals in integrative medicine. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine20: 342–346.
15.
GreenwaldAGMcGheeDESchwartzJLK (1998) Measuring individual differences in implicit cognition: The implicit association test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology74: 1464–1480.
16.
GreenwaldAGNosekBABanajiMR (2003) Understanding and using the implicit association test: I. An improved scoring algorithm. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology85: 197–216.
17.
HarrisPECooperKLReltonC. (2012) Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by the general population: A systematic review and update. International Journal of Clinical Practice66: 924–939.
18.
JongMCvandeVijverLBuschM. (2012) Integration of complementary and alternative medicine in primary care: What do patients want?Patient Education and Counseling89: 417–422.
19.
LynchNBerryD (2007) Differences in perceived risks and benefits of herbal, over the counter conventional, and prescribed conventional, medicines and the implications of this for the safe and effective use of herbal products. Complementary Therapies in Medicine15: 84–91.
20.
OlsonMAFazioRH (2009) Implicit and explicit measures of attitudes: The perspective of the MODE model. In: PettyREFazioRHBrinolP (eds) Attitudes: Insights from the New Implicit Measures. New York: Psychology Press, pp. 19–63.
21.
PattersonCArthurHNoesgaardC. (2008) Exploring adolescent complementary/alter-native medicine (CAM) use in Canada. Journal of Interprofessional Care22: 45–55.
22.
PorterMCDiefenbachMA (2009) Pushed and pulled: The role of affect and cognition in shaping CAM attitudes and behavior among men treated for prostate cancer. Journal of Health Psychology14: 288–296.
23.
RoddySStewartIBarnes-HolmesD (2010) Anti-fat, pro-slim, or both? Using two reaction-time based measures to assess implicit attitudes to the slim and overweight. Journal of Health Psychology15: 416–425.
24.
SarrisJGoncalvesDCRobins WahlinTB. (2011) Complementary medicine use by middle-aged and older women: Personality, mood and anxiety factors. Journal of Health Psychology16: 314–321.
25.
ShelleyBMSussmanALWilliamsRL. (2009) ‘They Don’t Ask Me So I Don’t Tell Them’: Patient-clinician communication about traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine. The Annals of Family Medicine7: 139–147.
26.
VickersKAJollyKBGreenfieldSM (2006) Herbal medicine: Women’s views, knowledge and interaction with doctors: A qualitative study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine6: 40.
27.
WheelerPHylandME (2008) Dispositional predictors of complementary medicine and vitamin use in students. Journal of Health Psychology13: 516–519.
28.
WiersRWCoxWMFieldM. (2006) The search for new ways to change implicit alcohol-related cognitions in heavy drinkers. Alcoholism-Clinical and Experimental Research30: 320–331.
