The Pictorial Fire Stroop: A Measure of Processing Bias for Fire-Related Stimuli Joanne Gallagher-Duffy & Sherri MacKay & Jim Duffy & Meara Sullivan-Thomas & Michele Peterson-Badali Published online: 26 August 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Fire interest is a risk factor for firesetting. This study tested whether a fire-specific emotional Stroop task can effectively measure an information-processing bias for fire-related stimuli. Clinic-referred and nonreferred adoles- cents (aged 13–16 years) completed a pictorial “Fire Stroop,” as well as a self-report fire interest questionnaire and several control tasks. Results showed (a) comparatively greater fire-specific attentional bias among referred adoles- cent firesetters, (b) a negative relationship between Fire Stroop attentional bias and self-reported fire interest, and (c) positive correspondence between Fire Stroop attentional bias and self-reported firesetting frequency. These findings suggest that instruments that measure an automatic bias for fire-specific stimuli may usefully supplement self-report measures in the assessment and understanding of firesetting behavior. Keywords Fire Stroop . Attentional bias . Fire interest . Adolescent firesetting Firesetting and arson are critical clinical issues that can have serious implications for society as a whole. Annually, these behaviors, although preventable, result in significant trauma, injury, death, and monetary loss (Flynn 2009; Hall 2005, 2007). Children and adolescents 17 years of age and younger play a significant role in these outcomes, account- ing for roughly half of all fire-related arrests (Snyder 2008). Importantly, juvenile “interest” in fire has been conceptu- alized as a potential risk factor for juvenile firesetting (Kolko and Kazdin 1986), and has been shown empirically to be a correlate of children and adolescents’ involvement in fire-related activities (Kafry 1978; Kolko and Kazdin 1989a; MacKay et al. 2006). Additionally, among adult male psychiatric inpatients, a reported history of juvenile fire interest is the variable that correlates most highly with current status as a problematic firesetter (Rice and Harris 1991). Despite its apparent theoretical and clinical significance, fire interest has been a primary focus in few empirical studies (for exceptions, see Kolko and Kazdin 1988, 1991; MacKay et al. 2006). The methods used to assess this psychological construct have also been restricted almost exclusively to caregiver- and child-report questionnaires and structured interviews (e.g., Kafry 1978; Kolko et al. 2001; Kolko and Kazdin 1988, 1989a, b, 1991, 1992, 1994; MacKay et al. 2006; Rice and Harris 1991; for exceptions, see Block et al. 1976; Sakheim and Osborn 1986, 1999; Sakheim et al. 1991; Sakheim et al. 1985). Reliability and validity data are available for a limited number of these J. Gallagher-Duffy (*) Student Support Services Division, Western School District, P.O. Box 368, Corner Brook, NL A2H 6G9, Canada e-mail: Joanne.Gallagher-Duffy@wnlsd.ca S. MacKay Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada J. Duffy Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Corner Brook, NL, Canada M. Sullivan-Thomas Child, Youth, and Family Program, TAPP-C, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada M. Peterson-Badali Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada J Abnorm Child Psychol (2009) 37:1165–1176 DOI 10.1007/s10802-009-9339-8