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Task dependence in color-naming latency among dieters
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|May 1, 1996
Summary
Dieters showed slower responses to food words in a modified Stroop task, indicating that concerns about healthy eating, not just eating disorders, influence these cognitive effects.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychopathology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The Stroop procedure is a common tool for assessing cognitive control.
- Previous research has explored its use in identifying psychopathology, particularly eating disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the robustness of responses to food- and body-related words using a modified Stroop procedure.
- To examine task dependence in slowed color naming in relation to dieting.
Main Methods:
- A within-subjects repeated measures design was employed.
- Thirty female dieters participated.
- A modified Stroop task and a simple computerized decision task were used to assess responses to food, body, and neutral words.
Main Results:
- Color naming of food words was significantly slower compared to neutral words.
- Food words were more frequently identified first in the computerized decision task.
- No significant difference was found in color naming times for body and neutral words.
Conclusions:
- The observed effects are not exclusive to individuals with eating disorders.
- Current societal concerns with healthy eating and dieting may contribute to these cognitive responses.
- Further research is needed to establish the Stroop procedure's specificity for eating disorder psychopathology.