Design and validation of a computerized stroop-like task to evaluate attentional biases in bulimia nervosa

Abstract

Objective: To develop a computerized task Stroop type to evaluate attentional biases towards food and shape words with bulimia nervosa patients. We developed four larger, homogeneous valenced- negative and positive word lists, describing food and body shape. Method: Thirty two women with bulimia nervosa matched to 32-control women, answered original and modified attention Stroop Tests in a computerized version. Results: Bulimia nervosa patients were slower than controls to name body shape color words, as positive as negative valence, and committed more errors on positive- valenced- body shape word list. Discussion: This study confirms the existence of attentional biases, specific for shape word-related in bulimia nervosa patients, and the highest utility in the adapted version of the Stroop Test related to the typical version for the diagnosis of these populations.