Related Experiment Videos
Changes in selective information processing with three psychological treatments for bulimia nervosa
1University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|September 1, 1994
Summary
Treatment for bulimia nervosa reduced word interference on the Stroop task. This suggests the Stroop task can objectively measure patient concerns about eating, shape, and weight.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Bulimia nervosa is associated with heightened concerns regarding eating, shape, and weight.
- The Stroop color-naming task measures cognitive interference, reflecting attentional biases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if cognitive interference related to eating, shape, and weight words changes with treatment in individuals with bulimia nervosa.
- To assess the utility of the Stroop task as an objective measure of concerns in bulimia nervosa.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a treatment trial for bulimia nervosa.
- Administered the Stroop color-naming task, focusing on eating, shape, and weight-related words.
- Compared interference levels before and after treatment across different treatment modalities.
Main Results:
- Interference with color-naming eating, shape, and weight words significantly decreased with treatment.
- No significant differences were observed in the magnitude of this decrease among the three different treatments.
- The observed reduction in interference suggests a modulation of attentional biases.
Conclusions:
- Interference on the Stroop task for eating, shape, and weight words is a sensitive indicator of treatment progress in bulimia nervosa.
- The Stroop task provides a potentially valuable, objective measure for assessing core concerns in individuals with bulimia nervosa.
- Findings support the role of cognitive biases in the maintenance of bulimia nervosa and their responsiveness to intervention.