Compulsive checking and selective processing of threatening information

Threatening stimuli are processed differently from neutral ones by anxious and obsessive-compulsive subjects. In the present research, processing of t hreatening words was compared with that of neutral words for two groups of Italian students, one with high mean and one with low mean score on Checkin g, a subscale of the Padua Inventory. Two tests were given, a computerized version of the emotional Stroop task and a later recognition test under inc idental learning conditions. The expected interference effect on the Stroop task for those scoring high on Checking was confirmed. These results sugge st an association between compulsive checking and bias in the first automat ic stages of processing of threatening stimuli.