RESPONDING TO SUBLIMINAL THREAT CUES IS RELATED TO TRAIT ANXIETY AND EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY - A SUCCESSFUL REPLICATION OF MACLEOD AND HAGAN (1992)

Macleod and Hagan (1992) [Behaviour Research and Therapy, 30, 151-161] reported that threat-relevant interference on a masked Stroop task, w here neutral and negative words cannot be consciously perceived, is po sitively correlated with trait anxiety and emotional vulnerability to stressful life events. Their findings were obtained from subjects who were currently stressed. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the Macleod and Hagan findings could be replicated in a sampl e that was not currently stressed. Using a sample of 32 volunteers, we found a significant correlation between trait anxiety and threat-rele vant interference on a masked Stroop. Furthermore, it was found that t he single best predictor of vulnerability to life stress was the inter ference on the masked Stroop. The findings of the present study corres pond quite closely to those reported by Macleod and Hagan (1992).