The Stroop effect occurs when participants
A) are told to divide their attention between colors and shapes.
B) try to name colors and ignore words.
C) try to select some incoming information based on meaning.
D) are told to shadow two messages simultaneously.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Stroop effect occurs when the brain struggles to reconcile conflicting information, such as the color of the ink with the word written in that ink. In the Stroop task, participants are asked to name the color of the ink while ignoring the written word, which creates interference and slows down their response time. Option A is incorrect because dividing attention between colors and shapes is not a necessary component of the Stroop effect. Option C is incorrect because selecting incoming information based on meaning is not the main focus of the Stroop task. Option D is incorrect because shadowing two messages simultaneously is a different task than the Stroop task.

The Stroop Effect Occurs When Participants