Selective processing of threat cues in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Richard J. McNally, Susan P. Kaspi, Bradley C. Riemann, Sharon B. Zeitlin·1990·Journal of Abnormal Psychology
DOI 10.1037//0021-843x.99.4.398

Abstract

Vietnam combat veterans with (n = 15) and without (n = 15) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) performed a modified Stroop task in which they named the colors of neutral words (e.g., INPUT), positive words (e.g., LOVE), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) words (e.g., GERMS), and PTSD words (e.g., BODYBAGS). In contrast to normal controls, PTSD patients took significantly longer to color-name PTSD words than to color-name neutral, OCD, and positive words. Because Stroop interference reflects involuntary semantic activation, it may provide a quantitative measure of intrusive cognitive activity--the hallmark symptom of PTSD.

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Cited by (47)

  1. Threat-related attentional bias in anxious and nonanxious individuals: a meta-analytic study.
    Bar-Haim, Yair, Lamy, Dominique, Pergamin, Lee, Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J., van IJzendoorn, Marinus H. · 2007 · Psychological Bulletin
  2. The emotional Stroop task and psychopathology
    Williams, J. Mark G., Mathews, Andrew, MacLeod, Colin · 1996 · Psychological Bulletin
  3. Mechanisms of attentional biases towards threat in anxiety disorders: An integrative review
    Cisler, Josh M., Koster, Ernst H.W. · 2010 · Clinical Psychology Review
  4. A dual representation theory of posttraumatic stress disorder.
    Brewin, Chris R., Dalgleish, Tim, Joseph, Stephen · 1996 · Psychological Review
  5. A cognitive-motivational analysis of anxiety.
    Mogg, Karin, Bradley, Brendan P. · 1998 · Behaviour Research and Therapy

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This page
CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Selective processing of threat cues in posttraumatic stress disorder. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1037//0021-843x.99.4.398
The paper
McNally, R. J., Kaspi, S. P., Riemann, B. C., & Zeitlin, S. B. (1990). Selective processing of threat cues in posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037//0021-843x.99.4.398

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