What Is The Stroop Effect. How It Works
By: EjazUlHaqBhat
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The Stroop effect is a phenomenon that occurs when the name of a colour doesn't match the colour in which it's printed
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It demonstrate the interference between automatic processing of reading words and the controlled task of identifying colour
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Although it might sound simple, the Stroop effect refers to the delayed reaction times when the colour of the word doesn't match the name of the word
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When presented with a word like "red" printed in blue ink, you have to actively suppress the urge to read the word "red" and instead focus on the colour of the ink (blue), which takes more cognitive effort and time
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This phenomenon is commonly tested using a "Stroop Test" where participants are asked to quickly name the colour of a series of words printed in different colours
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It was first described during the 1930s by American psychologist John Ridley Stroop after whom the phenomenon is named
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The Stroop effect is used in research to study cognitive processes like attention, inhibition, and processing speed
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Over time, researchers have altered the Stroop test to help study populations with brain damage and mental disorders such as dementia, depression etc
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