Stroop test: name the color, not the word
What this test measures
A color word appears — RED, BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW, PURPLE, BLACK — printed in an ink that doesn't always match. You answer with the color of the ink, not the word. When the two disagree, you slow down: reading is so automatic that the word gets in before the color. That gap, in milliseconds, is the Stroop effect.
Take the Stroop test
Read the word, but answer with the color of the ink. Start with the 30-second practice to get the hang of it, then take the one-minute test. On a computer, keys 1 to 6 are faster than the mouse.
Ready
What color is the ink?
Your results
Stroop effect
— ms
Your results will appear here.
- Correct answers
- —
- Average time (correct answers)
- — ms
- Word matches ink
- — ms
- Word differs from ink
- — ms
Your recent tests
- No test saved in this browser.
How the test works
- Pick a length: 30 seconds, 1 minute or 3 minutes.
- A word appears. Answer with the color of the ink, using the buttons or keys 1 to 6.
- Answer as fast as you can without mistakes: only correct answers count towards the times.
Why the word wins
A reading reflex. In 1935, John Ridley Stroop showed that naming the color of a word that names a different color takes clearly longer than naming a plain patch of color (Stroop, 1935). Reading, heavily practised, starts without being decided; naming a color takes effort.
A well-studied task. A review of fifty years of research describes the effect as one of the most robust in experimental psychology (MacLeod, 1991). Standardised versions, on paper and with norms, are used in neuropsychology to assess attentional control; this online version is not one of them (Scarpina and Tagini, 2017).
The device and practice. The screen, the mouse or your finger add a few milliseconds, and the effect often shrinks with practice. To follow your results, repeat the test in the same conditions.
And Upchin?
What you do by reflex isn't always what you decided. The Stroop test shows it in a minute: the automatic response gets in before the intention. It's the same with a phone, when your thumb opens an app before you've thought about it. Upchin puts a little friction between the reflex and the screen, so you stay in charge of your time.
Frequently asked questions
Does this test measure my attention or my intelligence?
No. It measures one specific thing: how much time a word that contradicts its color costs you, at one moment, on one device. It is neither an IQ test nor a diagnosis. For a health question, talk to a professional.
What is the Stroop effect shown?
The difference between your average time when the word and the ink don't match, and your average time when they do. Only correct answers count. A gap of a few dozen to a hundred milliseconds is common.
Why does my result change from one run to the next?
Because a minute of answers is still a small sample: tiredness, the time of day and familiarity with the task all shift it. You also improve by repeating the test. Compare yourself with yourself, in the same conditions and on the same device.
What happens if I switch tabs?
The run stops: time spent elsewhere would not be an answer. A run stopped before the end is shown, but it is not saved.
Where do my results go?
Nowhere: they stay in your browser, on this device. Nothing is sent, and the Clear history button deletes them.
References
