Selective processing of body image words in women at-risk for developing an eating disorder: A preliminary study

We evaluated the utility of the Modified Stroop task as a measure of body image concerns in women at-risk for an eating disorder. Data were collected among 31 participants from an eating disorder prevention program. The Modified Stroop was significantly associated with overeating episodes and an explicit measure of shape concern. The traditional Stroop effect was found while the Modified Stroop effect was non-significant. The results raise questions about the Modified Stroop task's utility in identifying at-risk women. Methodological and clinical implications are discussed.