Stroop Effect

Materials: ★☆☆ Easy to get from supermarket or hardware store
Difficulty: ★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
Safety: ★☆☆ Minimal safety procedures required

Categories: Senses and Perception, The Brain and Nerves, Psychology

Alternative titles: Color-Word Interference Test

Summary

The Stroop Effect is a demonstration of how conflicting information from reading and color recognition interferes with response time. When the name of a color is printed in a different color ink, people take longer to identify the ink color than to read the word itself.

Procedure

Prepare a list of color words (e.g., RED, BLUE, GREEN) printed in mismatched ink colors (e.g., the word “RED” printed in blue ink).
Ask participants to say the color of the ink aloud as quickly as possible, without reading the word.
Time how long it takes participants to complete the list.
Compare results with a control test, where color words are printed in matching ink colors.
Optionally, test with very young children who know their colors but cannot yet read to see if they experience less interference.

Links

The Stroop Effect | Psychology Science Experiment - Science Buddies:

The Stroop Effect Experiment | Easy Activity for Kids! - Boundless Brilliance:

📄 Colors, Colors - Neuroscience for Kids: https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html

Variations

Rotate or flip the words upside down.
Replace color words with unrelated words (e.g., “dog,” “house”) or nonsense words.
Use emotional words such as “happy” or “sad.”
Test with long vs. short words.
Color only part of each word (e.g., first and last letters).
Try the Directional Stroop (identifying word location), Number Stroop (counting words), Animal Stroop (naming animals), or Shape Stroop (identifying shapes vs. words).

Safety Precautions

None required.

Questions to Consider

Why is it harder to say the color than to read the word? (Reading is an automatic process that interferes with slower color naming.)
Which theory better explains the Stroop Effect: Speed of Processing or Selective Attention?
Would young children who cannot read yet experience the Stroop Effect? (Likely not, because the words carry no meaning for them.)
What does the Stroop Effect reveal about how the brain processes competing information? (It shows how automatic processes, like reading, can interfere with controlled tasks requiring more attention.)