10/22/2017 What Is the Stroop Effect?

PSYCHOLOGY COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

What Is the Stroop Eect?

How to Create Your Own Stroop E ect Experiment
By Kendra Cherry
Updated January 30, 2017

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The Stroop e ect is a phenomenon in which you must say the color of a word but not the name of the word. Blue for
example might be printed in red and you must say the color rather than the word. While it might sound simple, the e ect
refers to the delayed reactions times when the color of the word does not match the name of the word.

In this task, people are asked to say aloud the color of each word that than reading the actual words themselves.

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They just say the color in which the words are printed.

This task can be much more di cult than you might initially expect. The Stroop e ect refers to a phenomenon in which it is
easier to say the color of a word if it matches the semantic meaning of the word. For example, if someone asked you to say
the color of the word "Black" that was also printed in blank ink, it would be much easier to say the correct color than if it
were printed in green ink.

The task demonstrates the e ect that interference can have when it comes to reaction time. The e ect was rst described
during the 1930s by American psychologist John Ridley Stroop for whom the phenomenon is named. His original paper
describing the e ect has become one of the most famous as well as one of the most frequently cited in the history of
psychology. The e ect has been replicated hundreds of times by other researchers.

For students of psychology looking for a relatively easy and interesting experiment to try on their own, replicating the
Stroop e ect can be a great option.

How Does the Stroop Eect Work?

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The words themselves interfere with your ability to quickly say the correct color of the word. Two di erent theories have
been proposed to explain this phenomenon:

Selective Attention Theory: According to this theory, naming the actual color of the words requires much more attention
that simply reading the text.

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Speed of Processing Theory: According to this theory, people can read words much faster than they can name colors. The
speed at which we read makes it much more di cult to then name the color of the word.
Automaticity:This theory proposes that automatic reading does not require focused attention. Instead, the brain simply
engages in it automatically. Recognizing colors, on the other hand, may be less of an automated process. While the brain
registers written meaning automatically, it does require a certain amount of attentional resources, making it more di cult
to process color information and therefor slowing down reaction times.

Terms and Key Questions for Background Research

Before you begin your experiment, there are some key terms and concepts you should understand.

Selective Attention
Control Group
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
What other variables might impact reaction times?

Performing Your Own Stroop Eect Experiment

There are a number of di erent approaches you could take in conducting your own Stroop E ect Experiment. The following
are just a few ideas you might explore:

Compare reaction times among di erent groups of participants. Have a control group say the colors of words that match
their written meaning. Then, have another group say the colors of words that di er from their written meaning. Finally, ask
third group of participants to say the colors of random words that do not relate to colors. Then, compare your results.

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