The Effect of Warped Words on
the Stroop Effect
By Juliana Guarino
Grade 9
Problem
• Do warped words have an effect on the Stroop
Effect?
• This project was chosen because:
• It dealt with human subjects
• I was curious as to whether it would truly
effect it or not.
Research
It is 115% harder to say the ink color of these words than with colors that
match their ink. It is also said that Warping the words clockwise or
counterclockwise will make it up to 4 times easier to say the ink color of
these words or matching color words.
Hypothesis
• The Stroop Effect states that: if the color of
the ink is a different color then the actual
word, then it will be harder for the subject to
say the ink color.
• If the words on the paper are warped, then
the subject will call out the color of the ink
faster.
• If the subject is older, then he/she will say the
color of the ink faster than a younger subject.
Materials
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Computer
Five sheets of Cardstock
20 Volunteers
Stopwatch
Procedure
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Twenty sequences of five color words were printed on card stock.
Each card was held up in front of the volunteers and they were asked to
call out the color of the ink, and time how long it took for them to say
the colors.
The average time for how long it takes when it is the same color as the
ink color and the average time for how long it takes when the ink color is
different from the printed color is calculated
The difference between the two types of words was calculated and then
then the average difference between the two was calculated.
The twenty sequences of warped clockwise words in the same ink color
and different ink color were printed on card stock.
Steps 2 and 3 were repeated, this time for the warped words.
The time differences between the average difference of the changed ink
color between the regular Stroop effect cards and the difference
between the two of the warped words was calculated.
Control: The words where the stroop effect is
not exemplified
Independent Variable: The treatment of the
words (i.e: warped or with the stroop effect)
Dependent Variable: how long it will take the
subject to say the ink color
Data
Average Difference between the
warped words and regular words:
9th grade: 1.7875
10th grade: 3.635
11th grade: .775
12th grade: 3.34
This experiment didn’t depend on
age
All Grades:
4
Warped wordsdifferent colors
3
Warped words
same colors
2
Different colors
1
Same colors
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Conclusion
• If the words on the paper are warped, then it
will be easier for the subject to say the color
of the ink.
• If the subject is older, then he/she will say the
color of the ink faster than a younger subject.
• First is supported, the second was not.
Error/Improvement
• Experiment was successful:
• Possible things that could’ve made it
erroneous:
• Times were taken wrong
• Error in calculations
• Changes on Experiment:
• Differs between schools
• See if counterclockwise warping makes it even easier to read
Thank You!
• Works Cited
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Chudler, Eric H. “Stroop Effect.” Neuroscience for Kids. N.p., 2006. Web. 8 Nov. 2009.
<http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html>.
“Science Fair Experiment.” Cool Science Projects. N.p., 2009. Web. 8 Nov. 2009. <http://www.cool-science-projects.com/Science-FairExperiment.html>.
“Science Fair Project Guide.” Science Buddies. Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation, 2009. Web. 8 Nov. 2009.
<http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_guide_index.shtml?From=Tab>.
“The Stroop Effect.” About.com. New York Times Co., 2009. Web. 8 Nov. 2009. <http://psychology.about.com/library/blstroopeffect.htm>.
“Stroop Effect.” Psychology 132. N.p., 2000. Web. 8 Nov. 2009. <http://psychlops.psy.uconn.edu/psych132/manual/stroop.html>.
Thanks everyone for listening and watching my power
point on my science fair project!
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• Any questions?