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 language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 650-655 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Anxiety Disorders |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2009 |
Keywords
- Attentional bias
- Dissertation Abstract Review
- Modified Stroop
- PTSD
- Trauma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health