The implicit self-esteem hypothesis requires an indirect measure that did not yet exist.
Evidence
Unfortunately, the hypothesized moderating role of self-esteem cannot be tested confidently with existing self-esteem measures. The problem is that standard self-esteem inventories (e.g., Helmreich, Stapp, & Ervin, 1974; Rosenberg, 1965) use a direct measurement strategy that assesses an introspectively accessible representation of self-esteem. The hypothesized moderating role of self-esteem in implicit self-esteem effects is expected to be effectively testable only with the aid of a procedure for (indirectly) measuring implicit self-esteem. Such a measure does not now exist. — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 173
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to the later development of the IAT, which the authors themselves would go on to build as precisely this missing implicit measure. — connects to: Implicit cognition cannot be studied with introspection-presuming direct measures. — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 22; Implicit cognition theory yields predictions untestable by available measurement tools. — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 47; Indirectness of a measure depends on researcher’s inference, not subject’s awareness — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 83 (+1 more)
- QUESTION: Worth asking whether the IAT self-esteem variants actually fill this exact gap the authors declare unfilled here.
Broader Connections
- Implicit cognition theory yields predictions untestable by available measurement tools.
#expands(0.82) — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 47 - Implicit cognition cannot be studied with introspection-presuming direct measures.
#corroborates(0.78) — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 22 - Indirectness of a measure depends on researcher’s inference, not subject’s awareness
#qualifies(0.74) — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 83 - A measure adequate for description becomes incomplete once used in causal hypotheses.
#complicates(0.72) — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts and Measurement, 630