The Color of Thought The Effect of the Manipulation of Words on the Speed in which the Words are Read

1. The Color of Thought The Effect of the Manipulation of Words on the Speed in which the Words are Read

2. Table of Contents • Abstract • Introduction • Review of Related Materials(research paper) • Variables • Safety Precautions • Procedure (problem question, materials needed, and procedures) • Results: Data Table • Results: Graph • Data Analysis • Conclusion • References

3. Abstract The purpose of this project was to observe the stroop affect. I predicted that if the ink color of the words brown, green, purple, red, and blue is changed, then the speed in which these words are read will decrease because the human ability to say the color of a word overpowers his/her ability to say the word itself. This experiment involved taking the subject to a room and having that person read two lists of words- ink to word corresponding (control) and ink to word non-corresponding. I recorded the time it took to read each lists in seconds. The data did support my hypothesis in the way that the corresponding list was read at an average of 16.17 seconds and the non-corresponding list was read in an average of 16.84 seconds. When the color of the word was changed, it was read at a slower speed. This experiment further proves John Ridely Stroop’s theory. In the future, test similar to this one can change the way scientists think be creating his theory a law. This experiment could help the modern day person by enhancing their knowledge on this theory.

4. Introduction The purpose of my project was to observe how the stroop effect works on the minds of sixth graders. Sixth grade seemed like the perfect testing group because they were mature enough to be able to read correctly and they aren’t too mature to the point where my results were greatly skewed. Another small purpose of my project was to help in the efforts to prove John Ridley Stroop’s Theory. All in all, the point of this project is to improve my intellectual abilities but to also benefit the scientific community. This experiment could help the modern day person by enhancing their knowledge on this theory. In this project, I tested to find out how the manipulation of words affects the speed in which they are read. I predicted that if the ink color of the words brown, green, purple, red, and blue is changed, then the speed in which these words are read will decrease from the control. Using research to give my hypothesis a “back-bone” (support) I found that the human ability to read the color of a word overpowers his/her ability to read the word itself. In simpler terms, a person is more likely to read the color of a word than the word itself.

5. Review of Related Materials (Research Paper) This review of related materials is centered on how does the manipulation of words affect the time in which they are read? This project is based on the “Stroop Affect” discovered by John Ridley Stroop. A key part of this project understanding the meanings of perception and the stroop affect. Psychology is the study of the mind, thought, and behavior (Psychology). In the science world psychology mostly refers to human but it can refer to other animals. The brain and nerves are not a big part of psychology although many people think otherwise. “Perception is the process by which organisms interpret and organize sensation to produce a meaningful experience of the world” (Intro to Perception). In simpler terms, perception is how someone sees the world. An example of perception would be touching a hot stove. You pull your hand away quickly because you perceived that it was hot. Perception depends upon what the individual thinks. Someone might say the stove is hot but others might think that it isn’t. Visual perception involves the eyes, brain, and nerves. The human eyes reflect light and color in different wave lengths. Light and color are transmitted to the brain much faster the words are. This time lapse can

6. cause the color of the word to be said but not the word itself. Born March 21, 1897 in Hall’s Hill, Tennessee, John Ridley Stroop was the youngest of six children. Stroop’s family was very poor when he was growing up. When he was born, he was not expected to live long compelling his parents to shelter him during his childhood. Stroop graduated at the top of his high school class in 1919. In 1925 he graduated with his Ph.D in psychology. In the 1930’s, John brought to light the “Stroop affect”. His theory said that your ability to say the color of a word is overpowered by your ability to say the word itself. When reading words that are colored, you can read the color much faster than you can read the word. This is called the “Speed of Processing Theory “. This theory also states that reading words require more thought than reading color. When Stroop first started experimentation, he wanted to explain something called interference. “Stroop’s two questions were questions were “What effect each part of the compound stimulus would have when trying to name the other part?” and “What effect practice would have on the observed interference?” (Stroop 1.PDF). Stroop’s definition of interference was “the difficulty in naming the color of an object when the color conflicts with the name”. He had many successes in his life as a psychologist.

7. In 1967, he retired from the field of science. Six years later, in 1973, John Ridley Stroop died at the age of 76. His work still lives on and will live forever. Psychology is the study of the mind, thought, and behavior (Psychology). “Perception is the process by which organisms interpret and organize sensation to produce a meaningful experience of the world” (Intro to Perception). John Stroop had created a theory called the “Stroop Affect”. The stroop affect stated that your ability to say the color of a word is overpowered by your ability to say the word itself. In doing this John opened up a “New World” in psychology. Interference (defined by JRS) is the difficulty in naming the color of an object when the color conflicts with the name.

8. Variables • Independent- The color of the words • Dependant- The speed in which the words are read • Constant- • ‘SportLine’ Stopwatch • Informed Consent Form • Testing room • Printer • Computer • Control- The color to ink corresponding list (Experimenter Selected)

9. Safety Precautions • Assessment List- • Pressuring Student • Precautions • To prevent pressuring the student, use a calm voice and don’t make it appear that you are taking their voluntary right away.

10. Procedure (problem question, materials needed, and procedures) • Problem Question- How does the manipulation of words affect the speed in which they are read? • Materials- • 1 Stopwatch • 120 Informed Consent Forms • 1 Testing Room • 120 Test Subjects • 1 Computer • 1 Printer • 1 Pen • Procedures • Hand out 120 indentical consent forms to each of Mrs. Doulk’s 6th grade Biology periods. CAUTION- Do Not Put Pressure on the Students! • Give students ONE week to return their consent forms signed and dated by a parent/guardian.

11. After consent form have been collected, pull one student into Mrs. Doulk’s science storage room (Room 826A). (Note*: Block Schedule Days are the best times to do conduct the experiment) • Have student read a paper with the words brown, green, red, purple, and blue typed in the corresponding ink color (I.e.: brown written in brown , red written in red. CAUTION- Do Not Put Pressure on the Student! • Time (with a stopwatch in seconds) how long it takes for them to read the five words. • Record this time on a already prepared spreadsheet IN PEN • Have student read a paper with the words brown, green, red, purple, and blue typed in non-corresponding ink colors (I.e.: blue written in red and green written in brown. CAUTION- Do Not Put Pressure on the Student! • Time (with the same stopwatch in seconds) how long it takes for them to read the five words.

12. Record this time on a already prepared spreadsheet IN PEN • Repeat steps five through eleven for each student with the consent form returned in the same experimenting room.(Note*: This process may span out over 5 days)

13. Results: Data Table

15. Results: Graph

16. Data Analysis After finding the mean of all the numbers on my data table, the average time the corresponding list was less than the average time of the non-corresponding list. There were some extremes such as test subject H.J. who read the corresponding list in 12.09 seconds which was the fastest time the corresponding list was read. The total average for the corresponding list was 16.17 seconds. The final average for the non-corresponding list was16.84 seconds. My hypothesis was supported by .67 seconds. A very common trend that I saw in my results and as I was testing, was the fact that some of the subjects seemed to have gotten used to the processes by the second reading. This could have been a varying factor in this experiment. Another factor that might have skewed my results was the fact that some subjects seemed to be tired. On the other hand, some seemed to be very energetic and others just had a moderate mood. In addition, confidentiality rights almost make it impossible for me to ask the students’ parent/guardian if their child falls under the categories of ESE, ESOL, and/or ELL and if that child is on an IEP. If a child fell under any of these categories, then that could also skew my results.

17. Conclusion After all my data was averaged and I analyzed my graphs, I have come to the conclusion that my data does support my hypothesis. The speed in which the non-corresponding list was read decreased from the control (corresponding list). Even though my averages are very close (.61 seconds) it is a .5 second difference which is enough to conclude an experiment. Nevertheless, in the scientific community, it might not be enough evidence to make an accurate conclusion. It turns out the human ability to read the color of a word does overpower his/her ability to read the word itself. In future experiments, the test subjects should be segregated into categories such as male and female. Also, another varying factor might be if they wear glasses or not so that could also be a separate category. I would also have the test computerized because of the fact that each student flips the paper over at different speeds which could make a huge difference in results, especially results that are .67 seconds apart. In addition, I would use a less crowded testing area as well as a table. Finally, I would expand the subject range to other grades to receive more accurate results.

18. Throughout this experiment I have come up with some new investigative questions. One of them is ‘How does the size and/or font of a group of words affect the speed in which they are read?’ In an experiment like this I would basically do the same thing as the experiment I have already completed but instead of changing color, change the size of the word or the text style. Another investigative question is ‘How does the organization of words affect the speed in which they are read?’With this project I would take the names of shapes and shape them into figures. For example, the word square would be written in the shape of a circle.

19. References (MLA) • Cook, Robert. “Visual Perception”. Pigeon. Psy. Tufts. Edu. Garland Publishing, n.d. Web. 20 Sep 2010. <http://pigeon.psy.tufts.edu/ecp.htm> • Chulder, Eric. “Neuroscience for Kids” (1996): n. pag. Web. 20 Sep 2010. <http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html> • Introduction to Perception: definition of perception. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sapdesignguild.org/resources/optical_illusions/intro_definition.html • MacLeod, Colin. “John Ridley Stroop: Creator of a Landmark Cognitive Task”. N. pag. Web. 20 Sep 2010. <http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~cmacleod/Research/Stroopbiog.htm> • “Perception- Definition.” Word IQ Publishing (2010): n. pag. Web 20 Sep 2010. <http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Psychology> • Schwartz, Dan.www.psych.wright.edu, N.p., Jul 2003. Web. 20 Sep 2010 <http://www.psych.wright.edu/gilk-classes/Psy300_F03/stroop1.pdf>