Psychology · Experiments
Test the Stroop effect
Time how long people take to name ink colours when the word says a different colour.
- DifficultyEasy
- Estimated time2–7 days
- Budget₹0
- ClassClass 9 to college
- TeamSolo or up to 3
- You needNo equipment
Prerequisites: Averages
Original · by TechnifyedExperimentScience Fair ProjectBeginner friendlyFree to doNo equipmentWell documented
Overview
Reading is so automatic that the word "RED" printed in blue ink slows you down when you try to say "blue". Timing people on matching and clashing lists gives a clear, repeatable effect.
Why build this?
It is one of the most reliable findings in psychology, needs only paper and a stopwatch, and teaches a proper within-subject design.
What you will learn
- What automatic processing is
- How to design two conditions that differ in one thing
- Why the order of conditions must be balanced
- How to compare averages and discuss individual differences
Skills you will use
Safety and ethics
- This project involves people. Explain what you are doing and get their consent (a parent's or teacher's for children), let anyone stop at any time, collect only what you need, and remove names before you share results.
Materials and tools
- Two printed lists of 25 colour words (one matching, one clashing)
- A stopwatch
- At least 20 volunteers
Tools and software
Step-by-step roadmap
Start
You will finish with: a table of times, a bar chart of the two averages and an explanation.
- 1
Prerequisites
Know this first: averages. Then collect the 3 items in the materials list.
- 2
Learn
- What automatic processing is
- How to design two conditions that differ in one thing
- Why the order of conditions must be balanced
- How to compare averages and discuss individual differences
- 3
Plan
Write your question, your hypothesis and the one thing you will change. Draw the table you will fill in before you start.
- 4
Build
- Make a list where each colour word is printed in its own colour.
- Make a second list where each word is printed in a different colour.
- Ask each person to name the ink colours aloud as fast as they can; time each list.
- Have half the people start with the matching list and half with the clashing list.
- Record the time and errors for each list.
- Compare the average times.
- 5
Test
The clashing list should take noticeably longer for almost everyone.
- 6
Document
Record every reading with its unit, photograph the setup and draw a graph of the result. Report structure
- 7
Present
Explain the question, the method and the graph in two minutes; keep the setup ready to demonstrate. Presentation structure · Viva questions
- 8
Publish
Share the report and photos with your class, a science fair or your school magazine.
Expected outcome
A table of times, a bar chart of the two averages and an explanation.
Other versions of this project
Beginner version
Test ten people on the two lists.
Advanced version
Compare age groups, or people reading in their first and second language.
Research version
Test whether practice reduces the effect over five repeated sessions.
Make this project better
- BasicTest ten people on the two lists.
- This projectTest the Stroop effect
- AdvancedCompare age groups, or people reading in their first and second language.
- ResearchTest whether practice reduces the effect over five repeated sessions.
Ways to do this project
Text marked "You write this" is a prompt for your own work; everything else is specific to this project.
- Problem
- Does a clash between a colour word and its ink colour slow down colour naming?
- Hypothesis
- If the word and ink colour clash, then naming the ink colour will take longer than when they match.
- Variables
- Independent: matching or clashing list. Dependent: time to name 25 ink colours. Controlled: list length, font size, instructions
Materials and procedure are in Materials and the Roadmap.
Observation table
| Participant | Order | Matching time (s) | Clashing time (s) | Errors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- Graph
- Bar chart of mean time for each list
- Results
- You write thisState what the graph shows in one or two sentences, with numbers.
- Conclusion
- You write thisSay whether the result supports your hypothesis and why you think so.
Display board
- Title and your name
- Question
- Hypothesis
- Materials
- Procedure (with photos)
- Data table and graph
- Conclusion
- What you would do next
Questions judges ask
- Why does the clash slow people down?
- Why balance the order?
- What is a within-subject design?
- What would you change if you did this again?
- What was your biggest source of error, and how did you reduce it?
- Where is this idea used in real life?
- Research question
- Does a clash between a colour word and its ink colour slow down colour naming?
- Hypothesis
- If the word and ink colour clash, then naming the ink colour will take longer than when they match.
- Variables
- Independent: matching or clashing list. Dependent: time to name 25 ink colours. Controlled: list length, font size, instructions
- Methodology
- Test whether practice reduces the effect over five repeated sessions.
- Data collection
- Times and error counts for at least 20 volunteers, recorded with a number instead of a name.
- Analysis
- Bar chart of mean time for each list
- Limitations
- Timing by hand has reaction error; the sample is small and of one age group.
Literature review
Find five to eight sources (your textbook, review articles, reports) and note what each says about your question. Group them by idea, not one after another, and end with what is still not known.
References
List every source you used in one style throughout (author, year, title, where it was published, link and the date you opened it).
Working as a team
Solo or up to 3. Suggested roles:
Report and presentation
Report structure
- Title and question
- Background: the science behind it
- Hypothesis
- Materials
- Method (steps, with a diagram or photo)
- Observations (table)
- Results (graph and calculation)
- Sources of error
- Conclusion
- What you would do next
- References
Presentation structure
- The question
- Why it matters
- The idea behind it
- Setup (photo)
- Method in three steps
- Results (one clear graph)
- What the result means
- Errors and limits
- Conclusion and next step
Viva questions
Try answering before you open each one.
Why does the clash slow people down?
Reading the word is automatic and interferes with naming the colour.
Why balance the order?
So practice or tiredness does not favour one list.
What is a within-subject design?
Each person does both conditions and is compared with themselves.
How did you protect participants?
Consent, no names, and anyone could stop.
Resources
Source and attribution
Original
Written by Technifyed. Free to use for your own school or college project; write the report in your own words. Added 1 Oct 2026.
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