Alcohol Stroop Task - Verbal

Last Modified: January 17, 2023 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com), Millisecond

Script Copyright © Millisecond Software, LLC

Background

This script implements an Alcohol themed Stroop task. The classic Stroop paradigm demonstrates the interference of word meaning on naming the color in which the words are written as measured by reaction time/accuracy differences to color-meaning congruent and color-meaning incongruent combinations. The Alcohol Stroop takes advantage of this basic Stroop interference effect by comparing responses to alcohol related words and neutral words.

The implemented procedure is based on:

Bauer, D. & Cox, W.M. (1998). Alcohol-relatedwords are distracting to both alcohol abusers and non-abusers in the Stroop colournaming task. Addiction, 93, 1539–42.

This script uses voice recordings. The accuracy of the responses needs to be manually scored based on recorded files or use Tools -> Speech Recognition -> Analyze Recorded Responses.

Duration

12 minutes

Description

Participant is presented words from 4 different categories (alcohol, neutral, positive, negative) in four different colors (blue, red, yellow, green) and is asked to say aloud the color of the words regardless of their meaning. At the end, participants are asked to rate how emotionally intense they find the words (optional).

Procedure

4 categories (alcohol words, positive words, negative words, neutral words) tested within subjects

1. Practice Block: 24 trials (this script uses the words "one" to "ten" as practice stimuli)
2. 2 x Test Block: 160 trials (= 4 categories x 10 stimuli per category x 4 repetitions);
• order is randomly determined
• colors are randomly sampled for each word (Constraint: all colors appear equally often for each category)
repeat words can repeat colors)
• fixation cross is presented for 500ms (default) -> target words are presented for a maximum of 1500ms (=response window)
3. In between the two Testblocks: 2min Rest period (optional, go to Editable Parameters-> Editable Values)
4. Ratings (optional, go to Editable Parameters -> Editable Values)

Stimuli

• original stimuli by Bauer & Cox (1998), can be edited under section EDITABLE STIMULI

Instructions

not original; can be easily altered under section EDITABLE INSTRUCTIONS

Summary Data

File Name: alcoholstroopwithvoicerecording_summary*.iqdat

Data Fields

Raw Data

File Name: alcoholstroopwithvoicerecording_raw*.iqdat

Data Fields

Parameters

The procedure can be adjusted by setting the following parameters.