Stroop

Stroop Effect

The Stroop Effect is a psychological phenomenon that demonstrates the interference in the reaction time of a task. Named after John Ridley Stroop, who first published the effect in English in 1935, the Stroop Effect is a demonstration of cognitive interference where a delay in the reaction time of a task occurs.

Overview

The Stroop Effect is related to the ability of most people to read words more quickly and automatically than they can name colors. If a word is printed or displayed in a color different from the color it actually names; for example, if the word "green" is written in blue ink, then for a given time period, naming the color of the word takes longer and is more prone to errors than when the color of the ink matches the name of the color.

Stroop Test

The Stroop Test is a psychological test of our mental (attentional) vitality and flexibility. The test is named after John Ridley Stroop, who first published the effect in English in 1935. The test involves showing the individual a list of words, with each word displayed in a color of ink different from the color the word's name represents. The individual's task is to say out loud the color of the ink in which the word is printed. The test is a powerful tool to diagnose a person's cognitive processing abilities, attentional capacity, and processing speed.

Applications

The Stroop Effect has been used in a number of psychological experiments that test a person's reaction time to a task. It is often used in cognitive psychology to study automatic processes, which are cognitive activities that do not require conscious thought. The Stroop Effect is also used in clinical settings to help assess brain damage and cognitive impairments.

See Also

• Cognitive Psychology
• John Ridley Stroop
• Psychological Testing
• Cognitive Interference

References

Stroop Resources
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