Stroop task (STROOP)


What is the effect of conflicting information on reaction speed?

The Stroop Task studies how our brains deal with conflicting information by asking people to identify the color of words (e.g., the word "blue" written in red). It tests cognitive skills like attentional capacity and recruits frontal areas of the brain that are responsible for cognitive control (also known as executive function). Cognitive control may be harder under certain conditions (e.g., with lack of sleep) and for some people (e.g., children with Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD). Some circumstances may also make the Stroop Task easier: for example if you are well-rested or if you are bilingual. The Flanker Task is another cognitive control task.

Resources:
  • Lansbergen, M. M. et al. (2007). Stroop interference and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A review and meta-analysis. Neuropsychology, 21(2), 251–262.
  • MacLeod, C. M. (1991). Half a century of research on the Stroop effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109(2), 163–203.
  • Stroop, J. R (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology. 18(6): 643–662. What the Stroop Effect Reveals About Our Minds.

Parameters
The following features can be tweaked (default values in parentheses):
  • Task instructions
  • Number of main trials (96)
  • Number of practice trials (8)
  • Inter-trial interval (500 ms)
  • Whether trial sequence should be randomized (yes)
    Note: practice and main trials are balanced across conditions (match/mismatch)

What data is collected? How is it scored?
The following variables are recorded:
  • STROOP_reaction_time_match
  • STROOP_reaction_time_mismatch
  • STROOP_correct_response_proportion_match
  • STROOP_correct_response_proportion_mismatch
The two central variables are reaction time and percentage of correct responses. These are further separated by condition (match, mismatch)

What participants see before taking the task

In this task, you are asked to identify the color of words shown on your screen.

What participants see after taking the task

Why this task? The Stroop Task measures whether your responses are affected by conflicting information. Do factors like your ability to concentrate or your personality affect how distracted you are by the meaning of a word if you’re asked to name its color?

Aggregate Variables

These data are automatically written to a csv file upon completion of the task

  • STROOP_reaction_time_match
  • STROOP_reaction_time_mismatch
  • STROOP_correct_response_proportion_match
  • STROOP_correct_response_proportion_mismatch

Duration

5 mins

Resources

  • Lansbergen, M. M. et al. (2007). Stroop interference and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A review and meta-analysis. Neuropsychology, 21(2), 251–262.
  • MacLeod, C. M. (1991). Half a century of research on the Stroop effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109(2), 163–203.
  • Stroop, J. R (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology. 18(6): 643–662.
  • What the Stroop Effect Reveals About Our Minds (https://lesley.edu/article/what-the-stroop-effect-reveals-about-our-minds)

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