Abstract

Objectives: The present study was designed to examine the bias toward signs related to guilt feeling in the course of information processing in obsessive-compulsive patients.

Method: Within the framework of a quasi-experimental design, 20 obsessive-compulsive patients through a Stroop Test were compared with 20 depressed and 20 normal subjects.

Findings: The findings of the study demonstrated that the obsessive-compulsive patients took more time to read guilt related color-signs the depressed subjects too showed the same delay when compared to the normal group. No significant difference in lapsed time was noted among the three groups in relation to the signs lacking emotional load.

Results: The results verify previous research findings concerning obsessive-compulsive disorder, which emphasize the role of guilt feeling as a foregrounding, exposing, or maintaining factor in this disorder. The clinical advices derived from the results of this research are to take notice of this symptom in the cognitive treatment of obsessive patients and attempting to reduce it.