自陳式的死亡焦慮量表是測量死亡焦慮最常見的方式，然而，此種自陳式量表需要建立在受試者誠實坦白的前提上。由於死亡對大多數人而言，具有某種程度的威脅，因此，即使受試者無意欺瞞，但卻可能在不自覺情況下受到防衛機轉、正向錯覺、社會期待等因素的影響而減低其準確度。基於此，本前導性研究嘗試採取不同於死亡焦慮自陳式量表的情緒性Stroop作業之研究典範，透過對十位大學生進行實地訪談，建立死亡相關詞彙Stroop作業的基本架構，根據此架構，由50位大學生提供死亡相關詞彙，發展死亡相關詞彙的Stroop作業，並招募106名大學生參與測試，試圖初步瞭解死亡相關詞彙對大學生反應時間產生Stroop干擾效應的情況，並探討其與傳統自陳式量表測量結果之關係，以做為未來進一步研究之參考。本研究發現死亡相關詞彙對受試者反應時間產生干擾效應，但與自陳式量表測量結果之關係並不顯著，且二者的性別差異方向恰好相反。研究者對於此結果進行討論後，提出後續研究的具體建議。

Self-reported scale is the most commonly used measure of death anxiety. However, the validity of self-reported scale rests on the presumption of honesty on the part of the respondents. For most people, death carries a certain degree of threat. Consequently, even if the respondents do not intent to be deceptive, their responses are unconsciously influenced by defense mechanism, positive illusion, and/or social expectation. In view of the above, the presented pilot study attempts to adopt the research paradigm based on emotional Stroop task, which distinguishes itself from a self-report scale. Through interviewing 10 undergraduate students, the investigator of the study formulated the structure of a death-related words Stroop task. The task was further developed based on death-related terms provided by another 50 undergraduate students. Later, 106 undergraduate students participated in the test of the Stroop task. The results of the pilot study revealed that the death-related terms influenced the interference effect of the participants, but the effect did not correlate with the participants' score on the self-reported scale. In addition, the pattern of gender difference on the Stroop task was in direct oppose of that based on the self-reported scale. The results of the study are discussed and concrete suggestions for further research are put forward.