Running Head: STROOP EFFECT EXPERIMENT 1

The Stroop Effect Experiment

An Experimental Psychology written output submitted to the

Faculty of Psychology

Duran, Marianne Elizsa

De Leon, Abigail Joy
Matias, Alyssa S.
Jones, Estella Rosella
Fragata, Jaline
Evangelista, Gerlie
Fernando, Gabriel Ian
Lacap, Johannah
Oliva, Danielle Alexis
Dela Cruz, Jade Elliot
Cayron, Mary Grace
Uy, John Philip
Sevilla, Pearl Christine

Mondriaan Aura College, SBFZ

In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirement

For the Subject Experimental Psychology

December 14, 2017

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Abstract

The aim of this experiment was to observe the whole procedure of the Stroop Effect Experiment.

The process includes a thorough Stroop task: from reading words in black ink that spells a color,

to identifying the color of the box, to finally identifying the color of the word which spells a

color. In the experiment, a total of 51 individuals were able to participate. Only 30 individuals

from the 51 participants were included in the list of valid scores. There was a difference in the

accuracy and reaction time in each task for each participant. By the end of the experiment, the

experimenters concluded that when the process of reading becomes automatic, identification of

the color of the word which spells a color can become a difficult task for a person.
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Acknowledgement

The experimenters would like to thank the Almighty Lord for the guidance, knowledge,

and wisdom that He has blessed the experimenters throughout the experiment.

The experimenters want to extend their gratitude towards their Experimental Psychology

professor, Miss Jacqueline Lising, for guiding them in conduction of the experiment. For her

patience and eagerness to help the experimenters.

To the participants who gave their time to be a part of the experiment, and for patiently

waiting for their turn to be called. The experimenters are grateful.

To the families of the experimenters who gave their full support, especially in moral and

financial, to their friends who encouraged and motivated them to finish the experiment on time.

The experimenters are honored and grateful.

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Table of Contents

Title Page ........................................................................................................................................ 1

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 2

Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................................... 3

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 4

Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5

Paradigm of the Study......................................................................................................... 6

Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................... 6

Hypothesis........................................................................................................................... 6

Significance of the Study .................................................................................................... 7

Chapter 2: Design and Methodology .............................................................................................. 7

Population and Locale of the Study .................................................................................... 7

Data Gathering Tool ........................................................................................................... 7

Data Gathering Procedure ................................................................................................... 8

Summary of the Debriefing ................................................................................................ 8

Treatment of Data ............................................................................................................... 9

Chapter 3: Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data........................................................ 9

Chapter 4: Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................. 10

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 10

Observations ..................................................................................................................... 10

Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 11

References ..................................................................................................................................... 13

Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 14
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The Stroop Effect Experiment

The Stroop Effect is a lapse in cognition caused by conflicting information in the Stroop

Test. The test requires the cognitive ability of an individual to concentrate on a certain stimulus

in the environment while selectively ignoring others. However, if attention is diverted by

interference from another stimulus. Interference became very influential in cognitive and neural

components of selective attention and was the basis for much research prior to Stroop.

This effect was named after John Ridley Stroop and was published in 1935. It

demonstrates the difference in reaction time of naming colors, reading names of colors and

naming colors of words printed in different ink. It also aims to measure cognitive ability and

attention focus. What this reveal is that the brain cannot help but read because word reading is

more automatic process than color naming. People encounter and comprehend words on such

persistent basis that reading occurs almost effortlessly, whereas declaration of a color requires

more cognitive effort. When there is a conflict between these two sources of information,

people’s cognitive load is increased, and our brains must work harder to resolve the required

difference.

It was concluded on John Ridley Stroop’s research that it takes 74% longer for people to

say the color of the word due to an interference effect. The aim of this experiment is to prove

Stroop’s theory, and to investigate how interference affects participants’ ability in both

conditions.
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Paradigm of the Study

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

1. Verbal Stimulus Board The reaction time of the

2. Intrinsic Stimulus Board
participants
3. Verbal-Intrinsic Stimulus
Board

Extraneous Variable
1. The Verbal-Intrinsic level of the

test.

2. Different perceptions of colors.

Statement of the Problem

Is there a significant difference between the means of the sample reaction time under the

intrinsic and verbal intrinsic stimuli?

Hypothesis

There is a significant difference between the means of the sample reaction time under the

intrinsic and verbal-intrinsic stimuli.

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Significance of the Study

The Stroop Effect experiment helps psychologists understand how the brain evaluates

information. Experimental designs like this also allow researchers to target and observe cognitive

processes that underlie thought. The Stroop Effect experiment reveals the functioning of the

unconscious brain and reduces some of the biases that can otherwise emerge in testing. Using this

paradigm, the experimenters can access individual’s cognitive processing speed, their attentional

capacity, and their level of cognitive control. These skills and facets are implicit in so many ways

in which people interact with the world, suggesting that this test reveals a brief, yet incisive, view

into the human thought and behavior.

Design and Methodology

Population and Locale of the Study

The experimenters invited students from the senior high school and college level of

Mondriaan Aura College and employees from outside the school to participate in the experiment.

The experiment was conducted at the Mondriaan Aura College at the Alpha 103 room. The total

number of invited participants were 51; however, the experimenters only used the results from

the 30 valid participants. The remaining 21 participants were considered invalid due to mistakes

they made during the tasks given.

Data Gathering Tool

The experimenters used three boards: Two of those three boards have names of colors

written on them; one was written using a black marker (verbal stimulus), and the other was
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written using red, green, yellow, blue, and black markers that did not correspond with the name

of color written (verbal-intrinsic stimulus). The third board have rectangular boxes made of red,

green, yellow, blue, and black art papers (intrinsic stimulus). The experimenters used a score

sheet to record the time duration of each participants on the three tasks. They also used a timer to

get the precise time that the participants finished. The documenter used a mobile phone’s camera

to capture pictures of those participants who allowed to take pictures of them.

Data Gathering Procedure

1. For the verbal stimulus task: The participants were asked by the instructor, the

experimenter responsible for instructing the participants inside the experiment room, to

read out loud the names of the colors starting from the top left to bottom right.

2. Next, for the intrinsic stimulus task, they were asked to identify the color of the box from

top left to bottom right.

3. Lastly, for the verbal-intrinsic stimulus task, they were asked to identify the ink of the

words from top left to bottom right.

Summary of the Debriefing

The 51 participants were briefed before and after the experiment by the inviters

(experimenters responsible for inviting participants) and de-briefers (experimenters responsible

for debriefing the participant). Before the experiment, the participants were asked four

questions: First, they were asked about their willingness to participate in the experiment.

Second, they were asked if they have color blindness since the experiment is about correct

identification of colors. Third, they were asked about their preferred language, either Filipino or
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English, for the instruction. Fourth, they were asked if they approve of being photographed

during the experiment.

After the experiment, the participants were asked to share their experience concerning the

experiment. The participants were asked if there were factors that made them feel uncomfortable

and distracted them during the experiment. They were also asked if the instructions given by the

instructor were clear and can be easily understood.

Treatment of Data

The experimenters used the paired sample t-test to determine if the difference between the

means of the reaction time of the participants under the intrinsic and verbal-intrinsic stimuli is

significant.

Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data

The SPSS result of the Paired-Sample t-test

Paired Differences t df Sig.

(2-
tailed)
Mean Std. Std. Error 95% Confidence
Deviation Mean Interval of the
Difference
Lower Upper
Pai VAR00002 - 5.58200 5.15411 .94101 3.65742 7.50658 5.932 29 .000
r 1 VAR00001
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There is a significant difference between the means of the sample reaction time under the

intrinsic and verbal-intrinsic stimuli, since the computed t value of 5.932 is greater than the

critical value of 2.045 at .05 level of significance for two-tailed test with degrees of freedom of

29. Therefore, the experimenters accepted the alternative hypothesis.

Based on the findings of the experimenters, the participants took longer to finish the task

under the verbal-intrinsic stimulus than in the intrinsic stimulus. These findings can be

explained by the cognitive load theory by John Sweller. He believed that factors which make

learning unnecessarily complex or distract individuals from information they are trying to pay

attention to increase a person’s cognitive load. (Sweller, 1988)

Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion

By using the t-test, the experimenters concluded the following:

There is a significant difference between the means of the sample reaction time under the

intrinsic and verbal-intrinsic stimuli. Therefore, the experimenters accepted the alternative

hypothesis.

Observations

During the experimentation, the experimenters inside the experiment room have observed

that the noise coming from the participants waiting outside can be heard inside the experiment

room and were distracting the participant and the experimenters. Several participants were

confused with the given instructions and with some of the colors used on the boards ─ they

confused red with orange and black with brown because the shades of the colored papers used

were quite similar. The de-briefers outside have observed that there were not enough seats to
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accommodate all the participants waiting outside the experiment room. Other participants have

noted that the instructions in Filipino were too hard for them to understand and have advised for

the instructor to use terms in Filipino that are much easier to understand. The de-briefers have

also observed that one of the participant inviters were too casual to the participants especially

those who are close to them, and the other participant inviters were too enthusiastic to invite

participants which made other students hesitant to participate in the experiment. Three of the

experimenters removed their name tags even before the experiment was finished and did not

wear their uniforms or corporate attire during the experiment.

Recommendations

 The participants waiting outside may be instructed ahead of time to keep quiet as to not

bother the participant inside the experiment room. The experimenters may also use a

sign board outside the experiment room indicating that there is an on-going experiment to

minimize the noise made by the people outside the experiment room.

 The experimenters may make the instructions clearer so that the participants will easily

understand them and be able to finish the experiment properly.

 The instructor may use precise gestures when instructing on what direction the

participants should read so that they will not be confused. The instructor may also use

terms in Filipino that are much easier to understand by the participants.

 The experimenters may add more chairs outside the experiment room so that all the

participants can sit and be comfortable while waiting for their turn.

 The experimenters may use colored papers which shades are not too similar with one

another to avoid confusion of the participants.

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 The inviters may act formally to each participant and to the students whom they are

inviting to keep the standardization of the experiment.

 The experimenters may avoid removing their name tags before the experimentation is

finished; they may also wear their proper uniforms or corporate attire during the

experiment.
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References

Essays, UK. (November 2013). To Investigate The Stroop Effect. Retrieved on

December 10, 2017, from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/to-investigate-

the-stroop-effect.php?cref=1

Farnsworth, B., (2016), The Stroop Effect – How it Works and Why, Retrieved on

December 11, 2017, from https://imotions.com/blog/the-stroop-effect/

Lund Research Ltd. “Paired t-test using Stata”. statistics.laerd.com. Retrieved on

February 27, 2017

Macleod, M. Colin, “The Stroop Effect”, Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology,

Retrieved on

January 20, 2015

Punsalan, T. G. and Uriarte, G. G. Statistics A Simplified Approach

December 14, 2017

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Appendices

Tools Used in the Experiment

Verbal Stimulus

Intrinsic Stimulus
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Verbal-Intrinsic Stimulus

Documentation of the Experiment

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