An Implicit Measure of Surrender to God: Validation and Relation with Addiction among Christian Patients

Spiritual recovery programs for addiction often advocate Surrender to God (StG) as an essential element in recovery. However, the assessment of StG is generally limited to explicit questionnaires, which have methodological and theoretical limitations. This study tested an Implicit Association Task (IAT) related to StG in patients with substance use disorder (N = 210) during clinical treatment. Therefore, an implicit measure of StG could be assessed that places less emphasis on self-report and reflective processes. Results provided initial test validity by demonstrating group differences (Christian vs. Non-religious), associations with more explicit StG, religiosity, meaning in life, and lower levels of craving. Combining the implicit and explicit assessments of StG improved the prediction of meaning in life and private religious activities. This study provides initial support for the use of the surrender-IAT for addiction and health research. notReviewed other