Health anxiety and cognitive interference: Evidence from the application of a modified Stroop task in two studies

The number of studies using a modified Stroop task in the examination of health anxiety-related cognitive biases is limited, and their results are divergent. The use of research methods that preclude conscious processes is, however, essential. The purpose of the present two studies was to examine whether health anxiety is associated with information processing biases towards illness-related stimuli, as well as whether health anxiety interacts with perceived physical symptoms regarding such biases. In both studies a modified Stroop task was implemented. Fifty-one healthy university students in the first study, and 69 in the second study completed a modified Stroop task and filled out questionnaires regarding mood, state anxiety, health anxiety and perceived symptoms. According to the results of both studies, after controlling for positive and negative mood and state anxiety, individuals with higher levels of health anxiety displayed greater information biases towards illness-related words. Moreover, health anxiety did not interact with perceived physical symptoms, as shown in the second study. The implications of these findings are significant, not only as far as health anxiety is concerned, but also for everyday health-related behaviour.