Equivalência de estímulos e viés social sobre o corpo: avaliação combinada por matching-to-sample, IRAP e escala de autoavaliação afetiva

Abstract

Considering the cultural dissemination of stigma towards overweight people and the negative consequences on their self-esteem and health, this present study set out to verify the effects of a computerized training on attitudes towards silhouettes of overweight bodies. In this sense, 10 participants in the age group of 19 to 27 years old were selected to be subjected to an equivalence and transfer of function training utilizing matching-to-sample. The changes on attitudes were noticed by the application of the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) and the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP). The obtained results showed efficiency on the equivalence training, which presented a mean accuracy of 98,8% on the verification of transitivity blocks. However, no statistically significant change was found in the SAM results – Wilcoxon p = 0,078 on the category of overweight silhouettes and p = 0,762 for the thin-silhouette category. Regarding the IRAP, there was an indication that, during the pre-test application, participants showed a greater ease at responding to the investigated bias inconsistent blocks (pro-fat/anti-thin). In contrast, the post-test results suggest a greater prowess at the bias consistent blocks (anti-fat/pro-thin). The combined data suggest the existence of entrenched negative attitudes toward fat bodies and a limitation of the matching-to-sample instrument in altering them.