Stroop Test — Name the Ink Color, Not the Word
Click the button matching the INK color of the word, not what the word says. Score reaction time across 20 trials.
How to play
- Click Start to begin 20 Stroop trials.
- A color word appears, printed in a (usually different) ink color.
- Click the colored button that matches the INK color — ignore the word.
- Each correct answer scores a point; your reaction time is recorded.
- After 20 trials you see your score and average reaction in milliseconds.
The Stroop test measures cognitive interference. A color word is shown in an ink color that usually does not match. You must click the button for the INK color, not the word you read. The automatic urge to read the word slows you down — that delay is the Stroop effect.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Stroop effect?
- Discovered by John Ridley Stroop in 1935, it's the delay in naming a color when the word spells a different color (e.g. the word 'RED' printed in blue ink). Reading is so automatic that it interferes with color naming.
- How is my score calculated?
- You get a point for each trial where you pick the correct ink color. Average reaction time across all 20 trials is also reported in milliseconds.