A variation of the Stroop effect experiment
An experiment to investigate the Stroop effect in which participants are asked to name the colour in which a word is written, that word having either a colour- association or a neutral association.
ABSTRACT.
This study was an investigation of the cognitive processes at work during a variation of the classic Stroop test and effect, in which the degree of intrusion into automatic thought processes may be witnessed in a colour identification task.
It was found that the rate of word identification was slower where the list contained words which had association with colour than when colour neutral words were being read thereby leading to inference that interruptions to unconscious somatic processing were taking place in the former condition.
INTRODUCTION
The Stroop effect is a well- established robust phenomenon which deals with the interruption to automatic thought processing by a certain task. Although first described by John Stroop in 1935 the experiment had been first carried out by scientists in Germany, (Jaensch, E. R. 1929). The ‘effect’ refers to the amount of difficulty experienced by participants in excluding information, both sensory and learned , that conflicts with the task. It is also concerned with the prioritisation that takes place regarding one mental operation over another, (Broadbent,D. E. 1958), or how one operates to the detriment of another.
The classic experiment uses colour words, i.e. red, green , blue etc. and has them printed in non -corresponding/incongruent coloured ink which participants are then asked to read out against the clock, times being recorded in each instance and also mistakes. The first list of words, (condition 1), which they have previously read out are non- colour words which are also printed in the same coloured inks as the second list,( condition 2), and have no colour association whatsoever. The effect is noted when there is a significant difference/increase in the time taken to read out the list of colour
ABSTRACT.
This study was an investigation of the cognitive processes at work during a variation of the classic Stroop test and effect, in which the degree of intrusion into automatic thought processes may be witnessed in a colour identification task.
It was found that the rate of word identification was slower where the list contained words which had association with colour than when colour neutral words were being read thereby leading to inference that interruptions to unconscious somatic processing were taking place in the former condition.
INTRODUCTION
The Stroop effect is a well- established robust phenomenon which deals with the interruption to automatic thought processing by a certain task. Although first described by John Stroop in 1935 the experiment had been first carried out by scientists in Germany, (Jaensch, E. R. 1929). The ‘effect’ refers to the amount of difficulty experienced by participants in excluding information, both sensory and learned , that conflicts with the task. It is also concerned with the prioritisation that takes place regarding one mental operation over another, (Broadbent,D. E. 1958), or how one operates to the detriment of another.
The classic experiment uses colour words, i.e. red, green , blue etc. and has them printed in non -corresponding/incongruent coloured ink which participants are then asked to read out against the clock, times being recorded in each instance and also mistakes. The first list of words, (condition 1), which they have previously read out are non- colour words which are also printed in the same coloured inks as the second list,( condition 2), and have no colour association whatsoever. The effect is noted when there is a significant difference/increase in the time taken to read out the list of colour
References: Broadbent, D. E. (1958). Perception and Communication. Pp. 34ff. Pergamon Press, Oxford. Chafetz, M. D. Matthews, L.H. (2004). A New Interference Score for the Stroop Test. Archive of Clinical Neuropsychology. Volume 19, Issue 4. June 2004. Pp555-67. Accessed and printed 01/02/2014 Cherry, E Cothran, L. D. Larsen, R. (2008). Comparison of Inhibition in Two Timed Reaction Tasks: The Color and Emotion Stroop Tasks. Journal of Psychology USA. July 2008. 142(4):pp373-85. Accessed and printed 29/01/2014. Edgar, G. (2007). Perception and Attention. In D. Miell. A. Phoenix, and K. Thomas (Eds.), Mapping Psychology (2nd ed., pp3-50). Milton Keynes: The Open University. Jaensch, E.R. (1929). Grundformen mensclichen Seins. Berlin. http://dimensional-overlap.com/the-jaensch-effect/ Accessed and printed 02/02/2014. Shiffrin, R. M. Pisoni, D. B. Castaneda-Mendez, K. (1974).Is Attention Shared Between the Ears? Journal of Cognitive Psychology. April 1974. 6(2): pp 190-215. Accessed and printed 24/01/2014. Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in Serial Verbal Reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Volume 18, pp643-662. Accessed and printed 20/01/2014. University of Cambridge. (2012). Academic Speed Reading. University Students Union. Accessed and printed 01/02/2014. http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/academic/exams/speedreading.html. APPENDICES.