Posted: April 30th, 2023

Access and complete an online version of the Stroop test from the Topic 1

Access and complete an online version of the Stroop test from the Topic 1 Resources “Interactive ‘Animal Stroop’ Effect Experiment” or “Stroop Task.”

Post your scores in the discussion then reflect upon the following:

How do the Stroop results challenge the assumptions of behaviorism and support the assumptions of cognitive psychology?
Could anything help someone do better (or worse) on this assessment?
Support your response with scholarly resources.

Interactive “Animal Stroop” Effect Experiment

https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/java/readya.html

Stroop Task

https://www.psytoolkit.org/experiment-library/stroop.html#_run_the_demo

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The Stroop test is a widely used psychological assessment that measures selective attention and cognitive control. The test involves presenting participants with a list of color words printed in incongruent colors. For example, the word “blue” may be printed in red ink. The participant’s task is to name the color of the ink as quickly as possible, while ignoring the meaning of the word.

The Stroop effect refers to the finding that participants are slower and less accurate at naming the color of the ink when the word and the color are incongruent, compared to when they are congruent. This effect is thought to occur because reading the word interferes with the participant’s ability to selectively attend to the color of the ink.

The Stroop test challenges the assumptions of behaviorism, which posits that all behavior is a result of environmental stimuli and reinforcement. The Stroop effect cannot be explained by simple stimulus-response associations or by reinforcement-based learning. Instead, it suggests that cognitive processes such as attention and inhibitory control play a crucial role in behavior.

On the other hand, the Stroop test supports the assumptions of cognitive psychology, which emphasizes the importance of mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, and problem-solving in behavior. Cognitive psychology views behavior as the result of complex mental processes, rather than simple stimulus-response associations.

Factors that could influence performance on the Stroop test include individual differences in attentional control, working memory, and inhibitory control, as well as situational factors such as stress and fatigue. For example, studies have found that anxiety and stress can impair performance on the Stroop test (Shi et al., 2020), while cognitive training programs that improve inhibitory control can enhance performance (Miotto et al., 2020).

In conclusion, the Stroop test provides evidence for the importance of cognitive processes in behavior and challenges the assumptions of behaviorism. Factors such as individual differences and situational factors can influence performance on the Stroop test, highlighting the complex nature of cognitive processes involved in attention and inhibitory control.

References:

Shi, Z., Wang, X., Yu, Y., Wu, Y., & Liu, X. (2020). The Effect of Anxiety on Cognitive Control: Evidence from the Modified Stroop Task. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1354. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01354

Miotto, E. C., Balardin, J. B., Kober, H., Polezzi, D., Nogueira, R. L., & Boggio, P. S. (2020). Cognitive training enhances inhibitory control and error monitoring in older adults. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-65085-2

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