Enhanced Stroop interference for threat in social phobia
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 30, 2026

Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
Nader Ami1, Melinda Freshman, Edna Foa
1Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-3013, USA. amir@egon.psy.uga.edu
Abstract:
Socially anxious individuals are characterized by an attentional bias for threat-related information. However, this attentional bias to threat may be attenuated [Behav. Res. Ther. 34 (1996) 945] when these individuals are anxious. In the present study, we attempted to increase subjects' Stroop interference by changing the frequency of words to nonwords. We hypothesized that when the ratio of words to nonwords was low, individuals with social phobia (SPs) would show increased Stroop interference, but only for words related to social threat. Results were consistent with this hypothesis.
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