Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Vernon, Laura

Thesis/Dissertation Co-Chair

O’Brien, William

Abstract

Emotional Stroop tasks are used to observe the effects of interference in colornaming performance when under high arousal. Participants in the present study completed the Spider Phobia Questionnaire, trait fear questionnaire and trait disgust questionnaire. Response latency data were collected by an emotional Stroop task with spider-related words. Although interference effects were not observed, it is possible that this is due to the suppression effects threatening stimuli evoke in high distress participants. Participants also took part in a Behavioral Approach Task (BAT) with a Chilean Rose-hair tarantula and a Chilean Rose-hair tarantula’s shed exoskeleton. There was not a significant difference between approach distance between the distressed and non-distressed groups nor many consistent significant differences between reported fear and disgust in response to the two stimuli between the two groups. There were some significant correlations between trait fear and BAT responses to the exoskeleton stimuli.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Extent

26 p.

Identifier

FA00003631

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