Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T20:15:54.580Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Alcoholics’ selective processing of alcohol related words and cognitive performance on a Stroop task

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

F Stetter
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Tübingen; Osianderstr 22, D-72076, Tübingen
C Chaluppa
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Tübingen; Osianderstr 22, D-72076, Tübingen
K Ackermann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Tübingen; Osianderstr 22, D-72076, Tübingen
ER Straube
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychology, University of Jena, Germany
K Mann
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Tübingen; Osianderstr 22, D-72076, Tübingen
Get access

Summary

Starting from the hypothesis that alcoholics have a specific semantic network which causes a perceptual-processing bias, we tested 30 male inpatients and 20 healthy male controls. Our modified card version of the Stroop color-naming task consisted of a neutral and critical word condition. The results revealed that alcoholic patients showed a small information processing bias under the critical experimental condition (alcohol-related words); although this was only a trend in the expected direction and statistically not significant. However, neuropsychological impairment of the patients was demonstrated with the “standard Stroop procedure”. The most significant deficits were found in the interference task, which requires cognitive flexibility.

Type
Original article
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 3rd edn. revised. American Psychiatric Association, Washington DC, 1987Google Scholar
Bäumler, G. Farbe-Wort-Interferenztest (FWIT) (nach JR, Stroop). Verlag f. Göttingen, Psychologie Hogrefe, Toronto: 1985Google Scholar
Beck, ATWard, CHMendelson, MMock, JErbaugh, J. An inventory for measuring depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1961;4:561-71CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bentall, RPKaney, S. Content specific information processing and persecutory delusions: An investigation using the emotional Stroop test. Br J Me J Psychol 1989;62:355-64CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ben-Tovim, DIWalker, MKFok, DYap, E. An adaptation of the Stroop test for measuring shape and food concerns in eating disorders: a quantitative measure of psychopathology? Int J Eat Disord 1989;8:681-7Google Scholar
Cohen, JDServan-Schreiber, DMcClelland, JL. A parallel distributed processing approach to automaticity. Am J Psychol 1992;105:239-69CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dilling, HMombour, WSchmidt, MH (eds). Internationale Klassifikation psychischer Störungen. ICD-10 Kapitel V (F). Klinisch diagnostische Leitlinien. Bern Göttingen Toronto: Hans Huber, 1991Google Scholar
Feuerlein, WRinger, CKüfner, HAntons, K. Diagnose des Alkoholismus: Der Münchner Alkoholismustest (MALT). Münch Med Wochenschr 1977;119:1275-82Google Scholar
Geller, VShaver, P. Cognitive consequences of self-awareness. J Exp Soc Psychol 1976;12:99-108CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glaser, MOGlaser, WR. Time course analysis of the Stroop phenomenon. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 1982;8:875-94CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gotlib, IHCane, DB. Construct accessibility and depression: a longitudinal investigation. J Abnorm Psychol 1987;96:199204CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heilbrun, ABTarbox, ARMadison, JK. Cognitive structure and behavioral regulation in alcoholics. J Stud Alcohol 1979;40:387400CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klein, GS. Semantic power measured through the interference of words with color-naming. Am J Psychol 1964;77:576-88CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lehrl, S. Mehrfach-Wahl-Wortschatz-Intelligenztest MWT-B. 2. Aufl. Perimed, Erlangen, 1989Google Scholar
MacLeod, CM. Half a century of research on the Stroop effect: an integrative review of the literature. Psychol Bull 1991; 109:163203CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKenna, FP. Effects of unattended emotional stimuli on color-naming performance. Current Psychol Res Rev 1986;5:39CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mathews, AKlug, F. Emotionality and interference with color-naming in anxiety. Behav Res Ther 1993;31:5762CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mathews, AMacLeod, C. Selective processing of threat cues in anxiety states. Behav Res Ther 1985;23:563-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mogg, KBradley, BPWilliams, RMathews, A. Subliminal processing of emotional information in anxiety and depression. J Abnorm Psychol 1993;102:304-11CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parsons, OAButters, NNathan, PE (eds). Neuropsychology of Alcoholism. Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment. New York, London: Guilford-Press, 1987Google Scholar
Stetter, FMann, KWegner, CSchoon, ML. Cognitive impairment in alcoholism - neuropsychological results from the “TALK-study”.In: Meyer-Lindenberg, JBenedek, E eds. Crossing the Borders of Psychiatry. Berlin: Springer 1990;18 (abstr)Google Scholar
Tarbox, AR. Self-regulation and sense of competence in men alcoholics. J Stud Alcohol 1979;40:860-7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, JMGBroadbent, K. Distraction by emotional stimuli: use of a Stroop task with suicide attempters. Br J Clin Psychol 1986;25:101-10CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, MGWatts, FNMacLeod, CMathews, A. Cognitive Psychology and Emotional Disorders. 1988;Chapter 4 pg 6165Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.