Severity of bulimic symptoms is the best predictor of interference on an emotional Stroop paradigm.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of the current study was to further investigate whether an emotional Stroop effect exists among patients with bulimia nervosa.


METHODS
Performances of 30 female controls, 30 females with subclinical eating disordered symptoms, and 30 females diagnosed with bulimia nervosa were compared on an emotional Stroop color naming task using stimuli separated into three areas of concern (eating, weight, and shape words).


RESULTS
Results indicated that overall the three groups differed significantly on the emotional Stroop task, with the interference latency for disorder salient words progressively increasing as the severity of bulimic symptoms increased. Severity of bulimic symptoms was the best predictor of interference on the emotional Stroop paradigm.


CONCLUSIONS
Results provide further evidence that interference on the emotional Stroop is uniquely related to the symptoms of bulimia nervosa and bear credence to the possibility of its use as an additional tool in the diagnosis of bulimia nervosa.
Lokken
K L
KL
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, CPM253, 1530 3rd Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35294-0018, USA. klokken@uabmc.edu
Marx
H M
HM
Ferraro
F R
FR
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003118:Color Perception; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires