stroop effect U.3 L.12

created by john ridley stroop for his dissertation in 1935

the task is to name the colour in which a word is printed, rather than the word itself

when it is printed in a different colour it is called an incongruent condition

speed of processing theory : the interference occurs because words are read faster than colours are named

selective attention theory : the interference occurs because naming colour requires more attention than reading words

words are faster to read then objects are, word reading is automatic due to extensive practice

automatic processes can be thought of as unintentional, uncontrolled, unconcious and fast

reading cannot be “turned off” and that is why the interference occurs when naming the print colours

fast processes can affect slower processes

words are read faster than colours can be named, and interference occurs

this effect is used to explore aspects of attention, learning, memory, reading, language and other cognitive skills

stroop interference (incongruent) : when one mental operation degrades the performance of another

stroop facilitation (congruent) : when one mental operation enhances the performance of another

picture/word stroop (says cat over a picture of an elephant)

directional stroop (says left inside an arrow that points right)

counting stroop (counting the number of digits ex. 4 sixes)

flanker task (identifying the middle letter, the flanker letters are outside)