Biased cognitive processing of cancer-related information among women with family histories of breast cancer: evidence from a cancer stroop task

Health Psychol. 2003 May;22(3):235-44. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.22.3.235.

Abstract

Stimuli associated with sources of stress have been shown to interfere with cognition. The authors hypothesized that women with the stress of having a family history of breast cancer (FH+) would exhibit greater interference on a task with cancer-related stimuli than women without cancer in the family (FH-). The authors developed a modified Stroop color-naming task to test this hypothesis in a sample of FH+ (n = 72) and FH- (n = 96) women. Consistent with the hypotheses, FH+ women had longer color-naming times and more errors (ps < .01) on a cancer word list relative to noncancer lists. This biased processing was not mediated by the significantly higher perceived risk, general distress, or cancer-specific distress in FH+ women. Maladaptive alterations in processing cancer stimuli may have important clinical implications, as these women must process complex cancer-related information critical to their health (e.g., options for chemoprevention, screening).

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / psychology*
  • Cognition*
  • Color Perception
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Information Services
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Patient Education as Topic*
  • Pedigree
  • Semantics
  • Stress, Psychological*