Changes on the stroop test following treatment: relation to word type, treatment condition, and treatment outcome among women with bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE

To examine changes in speed of information processing on a modification of the Stroop color-naming task following cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and to evaluate whether changes are associated with word type, treatment condition, or treatment response.

METHOD: Subjects were 98 women aged between 17 and 45 years with a current primary diagnosis of bulimia nervosa who were participating in a randomized clinical trial evaluating CBT. Data were available on all relevant variables for 98 women. Speed of information processing was assessed at pretreatment and posttreatment using a modification of the Stroop color-naming paradigm.

RESULTS

Significant main effects were found for the factors time (pretreatment vs. posttreatment) and word type (food/body words vs. color words, food/body words vs. control words). Predicted interactions between time and word type were not identified.

DISCUSSION: Changes in information processing speed over treatment were not specifically associated with word type, treatment condition, or treatment response. Consequently, the utility of the modified Stroop paradigm as a measure of change over time for bulimia nervosa is questioned.