The Stroop Effect Experiment

The Stroop Effect Experiment

The Stroop effect is a psychological phenomenon that reveals how the brain processes information. Banich (2019) defines the Stroop effect as the lapse in reaction time between incongruent and congruent stimuli. The Stroop task provides a framework for studying the automaticity of processes within an individual’s brain. It illustrates individuals’ capacity for selective attention as evidenced by how some stimuli escape attentional control. The Stroop phenomenon has been used widely in modern advertising and presentation. The choice of words and colors to be used in magazines, billboards, or any other advertisement media is likely to influence the adoption of the message in the advert or the presentation piece. Presenters and advertisers, thus, have to consider their choice of wording and coloring to prevent or lessen interference. This paper reports the findings of a Stroop experiment.

Methodology

The words BLUE, GREEN, and RED were displayed in red, green, and blue fonts. These labels were represented by the letters k, j, and h, respectively, on the keyboard. In each experimental trial, the words appeared with varying font colors. The participant was expected to correctly identify the font color by clicking a letter on the keyboard representing the font color. In each trial, every correct attempt was recorded as “correct,” while incorrect attempts were noted as “incorrect.” The incorrect sequences were repeated as the Stroop test advanced. A total of 45 trials were completed during the experiment. The independent variable in this experiment was whether the font matched the label, while the dependent variable was reaction time.

Results

Findings on the reaction time were stratified into two. The first stratiform occurred when the label and fonts were the same, and the second occurred when the typeface and label were different.. The average reaction time for the same font and label category was 1275.4 ms, while the reaction time for different fonts and label categories was 1433.0 ms. The reaction time was also found to be relatively higher in the initial trials and decreased gradually as the experiment advanced.

Discussion

The reaction time was found to be higher in the trials where the font was similar to the label and relatively longer in those where the color on the label differed from the label. This is the expected finding. The delay in reaction time is due to the tendency of individuals to experience difficulty when naming or identifying a color when used to spell a different color as a consequence of interference (Scarpina & Tagini, 2018). The reaction times were also found to be relatively higher during the initial trials and reduced progressively as the participant eased into the experiment. The longer reaction times may be a factor of experimental conditioning. As individuals ease into the experiment, they are likely to take a shorter time to match the font color to the label.

The results were per my expectations. It conformed with the majority of the findings on automaticity. These include longer intervals at the beginning of the experiment and the ability to correctly identify fonts and colors that were similar to the name of the color. The experiment was simple. I was, however, surprised by how I could easily identify green and red fonts, considering that I normally have difficulties identifying these physical colors. Several factors can influence the findings of the Stroop experiment. These include interference conditioning, stimulus encoding, emotions, and response execution (Martynova & Lyusin, 2022). Better findings can be found when the participants are calm, have acclimatized to the experimental conditions, and understand what is required of them during the experiment.

 References

Banich, M. T. (2019). The Stroop effect occurs at multiple points along a cascade of Control: Evidence from Cognitive Neuroscience approaches. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02164

Martynova, E., & Lyusin, D. (2022). The influence of happiness and anxiety on emotional Stroop effect. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4135934

Scarpina, F., & Tagini, S. (2018). The Stroop color and word test. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/

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The Stroop Effect Experiment
Using CogLab, complete the Stroop effect experiment and create a report on the experiment.

In your report, write a brief introduction explaining the Stroop effect. Next, in the Methods section, describe the process that you followed to complete the experiment. Make sure to include enough information so that others can also perform the same experiment successfully.

Finally, describe the experimental results. Summarize your report, including answers to the following questions:

Were the results in accordance with your expectations? Provide a rationale to support your answer.
Did anything about the experiment surprise you? If yes, what?
What factors would influence the results of the Stroop effect experiment?