An Emotional Stroop Effect to Malingering Related Words

Abstract

This study was designed to elicit an emotional Stroop effect in simulators of malingering. Student participants (mostly women) either did or did not feign mild brain trauma. A modified Stroop test was administered, using neutral and “malingering” words. Controls showed no difference on malingering versus neutral words; simulators performed significantly worse on malingering words. Further research must specify the best method of administration to elicit a malingering Stroop effect and assess the additional discriminative power it may provide when combined with other malingering-detection strategies.