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Stroop Tasks

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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development

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Synonyms

Color word task

Definition

The Stroop Test is designed to measure an individual’s ability to inhibit automatic verbal responses.

Description

The Stroop Test refers to the phenomenon that if you try to name the color of the ink in which a word is written, the word itself can “interfere” with the process. The Stroop effect was first described by J.R. Stroop in 1935 [4] and is most obvious when the word, and color of the ink that the word is written in, don’t match (i.e., they are incongruent). For example, the correct response for the three words below would be red, brown, and blue.

Blue

Green

Brown

However, in this situation it usually takes longer to name the color of the ink because of the need to inhibit the more automatic response of reading the word. On the other hand if the word does match its color (i.e., is congruent), it usually takes a shorter time to respond.

Administration

In the Stoop Test individuals are required to respond to three separate conditions. In the...

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References

  1. Barkley, R. (1997). Behavioral inhibition disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychology Bulletin, 121, 65–94.

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  2. Prevor, M. B., & Diamond, A. (2005). Color-object interference in young children: A stroop effect in children 3 1/2–6 1/2. Cognitive Development, 20(2), 256–278.

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  3. Spreen, O., & Strauss, E. (1998). A compendium of neuropsychological tests (3rd ed.). Victoria: Oxford University Press.

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  4. Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 622–643.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8024, New Zealand

    Audrey McKinlay

Authors
  1. Audrey McKinlay
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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McKinlay, A. (2011). Stroop Tasks. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2822

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2822

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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