Experimental Psychology Stroop Effect
Running head: EXPLORING THE STROOP EFFECT
Racing Hoses and the Stroop Effect
Milana Istakhorova
Brooklyn College – CUNY
Fall 2011.
Abstract
The research assessed in this article discusses the Stroop effect. The Stroop effect occurs when our selective attention fails and we are unable to attend to some information and ignore the rest. This study tests the Stroop effect by presenting the participant with a congruent or incongruent word and the participant is asked to type the color of the word or the actual word in a series of trials. In this research, it has been found that participants had faster reaction times for congruent items and slower reaction times for incongruent items. In addition, participants had faster reaction times when asked to type the word and slower reaction times when asked to type the color.
Racing Horses and the Stroop Effect We have the ability to attend to the things we’re looking for; however, sometimes this ability of selective attention becomes compromised. Where’s Waldo is a game that tests one’s ability to selectively attend to a stimuli; you must find Waldo in an overly crowded picture that attempts to hide him. If one’s selective attention becomes compromised, one would either not be able to locate Waldo or would take a long amount of time to locate Waldo. We can study this phenomenon of selective attention via the Stroop effect. According to J.R Stroop, “it takes more time to name colors than to read color names (1935).” In addition, it is faster to name the color for congruent items than incongruent items. Congruent items include items such the word “red” in the color red; incongruent items include items such as the word “blue” in red ink. In a basic Stroop experiment, participants are provided with a list of congruent words and a list of incongruent words and are asked to name the color of the word or the actual word itself. Having a big Stroop effect indicates that one’s selective attention has failed. In Stroop’s original
Racing Hoses and the Stroop Effect
Milana Istakhorova
Brooklyn College – CUNY
Fall 2011.
Abstract
The research assessed in this article discusses the Stroop effect. The Stroop effect occurs when our selective attention fails and we are unable to attend to some information and ignore the rest. This study tests the Stroop effect by presenting the participant with a congruent or incongruent word and the participant is asked to type the color of the word or the actual word in a series of trials. In this research, it has been found that participants had faster reaction times for congruent items and slower reaction times for incongruent items. In addition, participants had faster reaction times when asked to type the word and slower reaction times when asked to type the color.
Racing Horses and the Stroop Effect We have the ability to attend to the things we’re looking for; however, sometimes this ability of selective attention becomes compromised. Where’s Waldo is a game that tests one’s ability to selectively attend to a stimuli; you must find Waldo in an overly crowded picture that attempts to hide him. If one’s selective attention becomes compromised, one would either not be able to locate Waldo or would take a long amount of time to locate Waldo. We can study this phenomenon of selective attention via the Stroop effect. According to J.R Stroop, “it takes more time to name colors than to read color names (1935).” In addition, it is faster to name the color for congruent items than incongruent items. Congruent items include items such the word “red” in the color red; incongruent items include items such as the word “blue” in red ink. In a basic Stroop experiment, participants are provided with a list of congruent words and a list of incongruent words and are asked to name the color of the word or the actual word itself. Having a big Stroop effect indicates that one’s selective attention has failed. In Stroop’s original
References: Dunbar, K., & MacLeod, C. M. (1984). A horse race of a different color: Stroop interference patterns with transformed words. Journal Of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception And Performance, 10(5), 622-639. Macleod, C. M. (1991). Half a century of research on the Stroop effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 163-203. Morton, J., & Chambers, S. M. (1973). Selective attention to words and colours. The Quarterly Journal Of Experimental Psychology, 25(3), 387-397. Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643-662. Figure Captions Figure 1: Displays the mean reaction time in milliseconds for the four conditions: the naming color/congruent condition; the naming color/incongruent; the naming word/congruent condition; and the mean for the naming word/incongruent condition. Figure 1