Demonstration of Stroop Effect – "Name that color" test

(This is a demonstration only. It is not to be used as diagnosis or any other purpose.)


The easy practice test:
Name the COLOR (not what the word says).
(To time your response, click "Start" when you are ready to begin; click "Finish" when you are done.)


RED
YELLOW
BLUE
GREEN
BLACK
PINK
ORANGE
BROWN
GRAY
PURPLE
GREEN
GRAY
BLACK
BLUE
YELLOW
GRAY
BROWN
PINK
ORANGE
BLUE
YELLOW
RED
GREEN
BLACK
GRAY
BLACK
BROWN
PURPLE
ORANGE
PINK
PURPLE
BLACK
YELLOW
RED
GREEN
ORANGE
PINK
BROWN
GRAY
PURPLE


Elapsed time:
sec





The real hard test:
Name the COLOR (not what the word says).
(Note that it is the same list of words but written in different color.)
(PAY ATTENTION: The COLOR of the word is different from what the word says.)


RED
YELLOW
BLUE
GREEN
BLACK
PINK
ORANGE
BROWN
GRAY
PURPLE
GREEN
GRAY
BLACK
BLUE
YELLOW
GRAY
BROWN
PINK
ORANGE
BLUE
YELLOW
RED
GREEN
BLACK
GRAY
BLACK
BROWN
PURPLE
ORANGE
PINK
PURPLE
BLACK
YELLOW
RED
GREEN
ORANGE
PINK
BROWN
GRAY
PURPLE


Elapsed time:
sec


 

Do you notice it takes much longer time to complete the second test than the first test?

The first test is easy because the color and meaning of the word are congruent. There is no conflict.

The second test is hard because the color and meaning of the word are incongruent. This creates a conflict that the brain has to resolve.

The reason why it takes longer is because the brain has to suppress the wrong answer that interferes with the right answer, before the right answer comes through.


The above demonstration does not even take into account the incorrect responses in naming the colors.

If you let the wrong answer to slip through impulsively, without waiting for the right answer to come through, it's because the brain does not have enough inhibition to suppress the wrong choice.

The reaction time will increase with fatigue and/or inattention to the task, so if you retake the test, it will show slightly different reaction times and error rates.

 

Repeat the above a few times to get an average of your response time.


Here's the correct answer for the incongruent test:

BLUE
BROWN
RED
PURPLE
GRAY
YELLOW
PINK
BLACK
BLUE
RED
ORANGE
GREEN
YELLOW
ORANGE
PINK
PURPLE
RED
BROWN
BLACK
GREEN
RED
BLUE
PURPLE
RED
BROWN
BLUE
BLACK
GRAY
PINK
RED
ORANGE
YELLOW
PINK
GREEN
ORANGE
BLACK
BROWN
GREEN
PURPLE
GRAY

John Ridley Stroop first reported this effect in his Ph.D. thesis published in 1935, commonly known as "Stroop Effect":

References:

Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology,18:643-662.

Stroop, J. R. (1938). Factors affecting speed in serial verbal reactions. Psychological Monographs, 50:38-48.


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