Lab Report - Stroop

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Results

To examine the impact of interference on cognitive processing times, the mean completion time was calculated then compared across the three experimental tasks and the rate of errors made by participants.

Participants completed the word task on average in 7.74 seconds (SD 1.34) with an average of .05 errors (SD .26) which was significantly faster than the coloured block task. The coloured block task was completed at slightly slower average speed of 9.33 seconds (SD 2.03) with an average of .13 errors made (SD .40), however was completed significantly faster than the Stroop task. The Stroop task completion time was significantly slower with participants achieving an average speed of 16.18 seconds (SD 4.09) with an average of .58 errors (SD .99). This was shown to be true (“Lab Report Results”, 2015).

Discussion

The results supported the three hypotheses presented where the word and the coloured block tasks were completed in significantly faster time than the Stroop task. The word task had the fastest completion time with the least amount of errors recorded. This is supported in findings cited in MacLeod (1991, p. 166-177)

The results also supported the hypothesis that participants completed the coloured blocks task significantly faster than the Stroop task. Stroop (1935, p. 649) found that it took 2.3 seconds longer to read 100 colour names printed in incongruent colours than to read those printed in black.

Possible limitations of the study are that it does not take into consideration whether participants may be colour blind, the time of day the test was undertaken (mental alertness of participants) or if participants may be from a non-English speaking background where English is their second language. All of these factors may have contributed to slower response times.

Future studies in the Stroop effect could investigate and extend on the various existing research and improve reaction times. For example if practice was allowed for the Stroop task, this could potentially increase cognitive processing and reaction times in experiments conducted by Klein (1964) as described by Schiller (1966, p. 105-107).

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References

MacLeod, C.M. (1991). Half a century of research on the stroop effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109(2), 167-168.

Stroop, J.R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18(6), 647-648

MacLeod, C.M. (1991). Half a century of research on the stroop effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109(2), 163.

MacLeod, C.M. (1991). Half a century of research on the stroop effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109(2), 167.

Stroop, J.R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18(6), 643-662

Learn JCU. (2015). Lab report results retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_2013185_1&course_id=_68104_1

MacLeod, C.M. (1991). Half a century of research on the stroop effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109(2), 166-177.

Stroop, J.R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18(6), 649

Schiller, P.H. (1996). Developmental study of color-word interference. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72(1), 105-107.