Creatively Exploring the Implicit Component of Sexual Offenders' Implicit Theories

By reappraising the shared association between the Implicit Theories theory (Ward, 2000; Ward & Keenan, 1999) and Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1973, 1980), the objective of this thesis was to create a novel paradigm utilizing methodology (i.e., drawing and visualization tasks), from the domain of art therapy, to investigate the implicit cognitive components implicated in both a Dangerous World and Uncontrollability IT. Studies 1, 2 and 3 represented the first two pilot studies and preliminary study, respectively, that were conducted in order to investigate whether the measurements we wished to use in the main empirical studies, were appropriate measurements or required adjustment. Study 4 examined the investigative ability of this novel paradigm for a Dangerous World IT, using the measurements created in Studies 1, 2 and 3. In Studies 5 and 6 we explored if making changes to the methodology used in Study 4, would impact meaningfully upon findings. Building upon the results from Studies, 4, 5 and 6, Studies 7, 8 and 9, explored whether an Uncontrollability IT could be investigated by using a similar approach to that employed for investigating a Dangerous World IT, and; also to explore if a Dangerous World and Uncontrollability IT were meaningfully associated. The combined results of this thesis support the use of art-therapy methodology to investigate the deeper, more implicit cognitive components implicated in a Dangerous World and Uncontrollability IT. Results also indicate that attachment is an important variable to control for when investigating cognition implicated in implicit theories. This thesis concludes with a summary of the findings, a discussion of the methodological limitations of the studies and suggestions for future research.