Stroop Effects- The Experiment- RC. Arizona State University. ASU ID; Keynote Project. POS 310 American National Government (Spring 2022- A)

1. Ryan M. Collins
Arizona State University
ASU ID- 1218298354
Stroop Effects:
The Experiment

2. Introduction
▪ The Stroop effect is a phenomenon that occurs when the name
of a color doesn't match the color in which it's printed, it's known
as the Stroop Effect (for example- the word "red" appears in blue
text rather than red).
▪ In a color test like this, often known as the Stroop test, you'd
probably take longer (and be more likely to get it wrong) than if
the ink color matched the word.
▪ The Stroop Effect refers to the delayed reaction times that occur
when the color of a word does not match the name of the word.
When the hue of a word corresponds to the semantic meaning of
the term, it is easy to say.
▪ If you were asked to describe the color of the word "black" that
was also printed in black ink, it would be far easier to do so than if
it was printed in green ink.

3. History
▪ The task highlights the impact that
interference can have on reaction times. The
phenomena is named after American
psychologist John Ridley Stroop, who
originally reported it in the 1930s.
▪ His initial work describing the effect has
become one of the most recognized and
quoted in psychological history.
▪ Other researchers have duplicated the result
hundreds of times.

4. Experiment Introduction
▪ Stroop, J.R. (1935)
▫ Asked participants to report the ink color of 100
words
◾The spelled color did not match the actual color
▫ Asked participants to report the ink color of 100
sets of squares
▫ Took the participants on average a total of 47
seconds longer to identify color of the words
◾Even when told not to pay attention to the word
itself, participants could not ignore what was being
spelled

5. Experiment Introduction
▪ The way that participants are instructed to respond
has an effect on their accuracy
▫ When speed is stressed, accuracy rates go down
▫ When accuracy is stressed, accuracy is comparatively
better (Chen, J., & Johnson, M.K. 1991)
▪ Automatization-when a task does not require
conscious effort to be completed
▫ Sometimes participants do not even realize they are
completing the task (Von Kluge, S. 1992)
▫ Being asked to quickly report the color of the word is
difficult due to the fact that the color name interferes in the
process (Francis, Neath, & VanHorn, 2008)

6. Automaticity Examples
I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was
rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid,
aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't
mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny
irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the
rhgit pclae.

7. Research Question
How correct does the spelling of the
words need to be in order to see
the effects of automaticity?

8. Thesis
Expect to find that the more jumbled
the words the quicker the reaction
time, because it will be harder to
identify words that are more jumbled.

9. Method
▪ Participants
▫ Obtained 10 participants through a sign-up sheet
▫ University age students of all levels (Adults,
College, Adolescents 18+)
▫ No one reported color deficiency

10. Method
▪ Equipment
▫ Dell Computer, model Latitude
▫ Monitor resolution of 1024 by 786 pixels
▫ Internet: Windows Edge 10
▫ Stroop Experiment on CogLab website (Krantz,
n.d.)
◾Written in Java
▫ Spread sheet to record data
◾Written in Java

11. Method
▪ Stimuli
▫ 4 different stimuli
◾XXXX
◾Incongruent words
◾Middle Random Congruent words
◾All Random Incongruent
▫ 25 words in each condition
▫ Shown in the center of the screen
▫ Font size 16
▫ 3 different colors possibilities for font color and word
spelling
◾Green, Orange, Purple

12. Method
▪ Procedure
▫ One word displayed at a time
▫ Participants responded to the color of the word
◾Could respond by striking corresponding key or
clicking button at bottom of the screen
▫ There were 25 trials for the 4 conditions
▫ After each condition, participants recorded their
average reaction time and accuracy on a separate
sheet of paper

13. Results
X: 814.89 msec
Incon: 1062.61 msec
Rand: 846.26 msec
Reaction times differed significantly between conditions (F
(3, 19)=10.48, p <.001, such that the X condition was the
fastest (M =814.89), random was the middle (M=846.26),
and incongruent was the slowest (M=1062.61).

14. Accuracy Findings
▪ There was a significant difference of accuracy
between conditions (F(3, 19)=4.06, p=.02), such that
random was the most accurate (M=.995), X was the
middle (M=.98), and Incongruent was the least
accurate (M=.97).
▪ Supports our hypothesis because the fast conditions
have the best accuracy
▫ There is no speed-accuracy tradeoff
▪ Note: One participants data was taken out-accuracy
of .16
▫ Told the researchers that she did the condition wrong and
that is why the accuracy was so low

15. Presentation Questions & Answers
▪ 1) A full description of the topic?
▫ The Stroop test helps researchers evaluate the level of
your attention capacity and abilities, and how fast you
can apply them.
▪ 2) What does the research literature have to say about the
topic?
▫ The Stroop effect is a phenomenon that occurs when
the name of a color doesn't match the color in which it's
printed, it's known as the Stroop Effect (for example-
the word "red" appears in blue text rather than red).

16. Presentation Questions & Answers
▪ 3a) How does this topic relate to how people interact with the
world?
▫ The Stroop test helps researchers measure the part of the
brain that handles planning, decision-making, and dealing
with distraction.
▪ 3b) What affect does the topic have on cognition and your field
of interest?
▫ My field of interest of Economics and Data Analytics
provides me with more decisive information on
autonomous digital performance in the business markets.
This theory proposes that cognition of automatic reading
doesn't require focused attention. Instead, the brain simply
engages in it automatically. Recognizing colors, on the

17. Presentation Questions & Answers
▪ 4) Why you are interested in the topic?
▫ It's particularly helpful in assessing attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and executive
functioning in people with traumatic brain injuries
(TBIs). I have been diagnosed with both ADHD and also
a TBI. By better understanding this specialized topic I
can better understand how my brain functions and
utilize specific skills needed to excel in my Economics
and Data Analytics field of study.
▪ 5) The most important things you have learned about the
topic especially things that are related to your field of
interest?

18. Presentation Questions & Answers
▪ 5) The most important things you have learned about the
topic especially things that are related to your field of
interest?
▫ This theory proposes that automatic reading doesn't
require focused attention. Instead, the brain simply
engages in it automatically. Recognizing colors, on the
other hand, may be less of an automated process.

19. Discussion
▪ The hypothesis was supported by the data
▫ The most jumbled condition (random), had the
second fastest reaction time, only behind the X’s
(control)
▪ Automatization is less effective when a word
is jumbled beyond immediate recognition of
an intended word

20. Practical Applications and
Limitations
▪ Practical applications
▫ Teachers need to be aware:
◾as students get older reading is automatized-they can read without
thinking
◾Younger students are so focused on the step-by-step process because
reading is not automatized-it is harder to take in the information
▪ Limitations
▫ Used the wrong condition : Middle Congruent
▫ Computers did not work-froze
▫ Did not ask about gender (Van der Elst, Van Boxtel, Van Breukelen, &
Jolles, 2006)
▫ Community may not be representative of the entire population because
of the educational level

22. Frequently Asked Questions
▪ What is the Stroop test used for?
▫ The Stroop test helps researchers evaluate the level of
your attention capacity and abilities, and how fast you
can apply them. It's particularly helpful in assessing
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and
executive functioning in people with traumatic brain
injuries (TBIs)
▪ What part of the brain does the Stroop test affect?
▫ The Stroop test helps researchers measure the part of
the brain that handles planning, decision-making, and
dealing with distraction.

23. Frequently Asked Questions
▪ What Is Stroop test effect on Automaticity?
▫ This theory proposes that automatic reading doesn't
require focused attention. Instead, the brain simply
engages in it automatically. Recognizing colors, on the
other hand, may be less of an automated process.
▪ What do my Stroop test results mean?
▫ Scores on the first and second challenges can be
combined in a variety of ways. They could signal
speech issues, reading difficulties, or a brain injury.
Color blindness, mental distress, or a lack of
intelligence are all possibilities. They could also
indicate that your brain is capable of dealing with
conflicting information and has enough cognitive

24. References
Chen, J., & Johnson, M.K. (1991). The Stroop congruency effect is more
observable under a speed strategy than an accuracy strategy. Perceptual and
Motor Skills, 73(1), 67-76. doi:10.2466/PMS.73.4.67-76
Cherry, K. (2022, June 11). How the Stroop Effect Works. Very Well Mind.
Retrieved June 10, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-
stroop-effect-2795832.
Francis, G., Neath, I., & VanHorn, D. (2008). CogLab 2.0. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
Krantz, J. (n.d.). Cognition Laboratory Experiments. Serial Position Effect.
Retrieved March 17, 2010, from
http://psych.hanover.edu/JavaTest/CLE/Cognition/Cognition.html
Ruhl, C. (2020, December 01). The Stroop Effect. Simply Psychology. Retrieved
June 10, 2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/stroop-effect.html.
Stroop, J.R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of
Experimental Psychology, 18(6), 643-662. doi:10.1037/h0054651
Van der Elst, W., Van Boxtel, M., Van Breukelen, G. & Jolles, J. (2006). The
Stroop Color-Word Test: Influence of Age, Sex, and Education; and
Normative Data for a Large Sample Across the Adult Age Range. Assessment,