[Cardiovascular response to Stroop test: comparison between the computerized and verbal tests].

BACKGROUND The Stroop test requires the individual to respond to specific elements of a stimulus, whereas inhibiting more automated processes. OBJECTIVE To compare the cardiovascular reactivity induced by the computerized version of the Stroop word-color test TESTINPACS with the traditional version based on the reading of printed words. METHODS The sample of convenience consisted of 20 women (22.4 +/- 4.1 years). Analyses of variance with repeated measures were used to compare the main effects between the tests (computerized vs verbal), as well as between phases of the test (baseline, Stroop 1, Stroop 3) on the physiological variables (arterial pressure, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, heart failure and respiratory rate). The t tests for paired samples were used to compare the pressure means between Stroop 3 and baseline. Additionally, the magnitude of the effects (d') was estimated in order to assess the impact of the changes in the physiological measurements between Stroop 3 and the baseline. RESULTS The two versions of the assessment tool caused significant increase in heart rate (p<0.01) and systolic arterial pressure (p<0.05) when the measurements obtained at the Stroop 3 were compared to that of baseline. However, no significant differences were observed regarding the different versions of the test on the other investigated variables. The d' statistics confirmed the high magnitude of the effects (-1.04 to +1.49) between the measurements from the Stroop 3 and the baseline ones. CONCLUSION It is concluded that the current computerized version (TESTINPACS) of the Stroop test constitutes a useful instrument to induce cardiovascular reactivity in women.