Does the modified Stroop effect exist in PTSD? Evidence from dissertation abstracts and the peer reviewed literature

Matthew O. Kimble, B. Christopher Frueh, Libby Marks

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

62 Scopus citations

Abstract

The modified Stroop effect (MSE), in which participants show delayed colour naming to trauma-specific words, is one of the most widely cited findings in the literature pertaining to cognitive bias in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study used a novel approach (Dissertation Abstract Review; DAR) to review the presence of the MSE in dissertation abstracts. A review of dissertations that used the modified Stroop task in a PTSD sample revealed that only 8% of the studies found delayed reaction times to trauma-specific words in participants with PTSD. The most common finding (75%) was for no PTSD-specific effects in colour naming trauma-relevant words. This ratio is significantly lower than ratios found in the peer reviewed literature, but even in the peer reviewed literature only 44% of controlled studies found the modified Stroop effect. These data suggest that a reevaluation of the MSE in PTSD is warranted.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)650-655
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Anxiety Disorders
Volume23
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2009

Keywords

  • Attentional bias
  • Dissertation Abstract Review
  • Modified Stroop
  • PTSD
  • Trauma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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