Stroop Effect Experiment

The Stroop effect is a phenomenon where it takes longer to name a word's colour when the text colour doesn't match the word. It's a fun way to learn how your brain works.

Try saying the colours of the words below. Does the second line take longer? This is the Stroop Effect in action. Our brains read automatically, so when the word and colour aren't the same, it causes a slight slowing of the thought process.

This simple investigation comes with a free Stroop effect worksheet, so all you need is a willing volunteer to help!

Are you ready to test your brain?

Stroop Test Investigation

You'll need

Stroop effect test sheet
Timer

Instructions

Record how long it takes to read the words for the colours out loud ( box 1 ). Repeat 3 times.

Record how long it takes to say the colour of the word out loud ( box 2 ). Repeat 3 times.

What's going on?

The Stroop Effect is named after John Ridley Stroop, who discovered the strange phenomenon in the 1930s. You probably found that it took you longer to name the colour the word was written in rather than reading the word. This is because the words interfere with your brain's ability to name the colour. There are two theories to explain why this happens.