What is the Stroop test?
The Stroop test is a classic experiment in attention. Color names flash up in mismatched ink, the word GREEN in yellow for example, and you have to name the ink, not the word. Your brain reads automatically, so every clash slows you down a little.
Take the Stroop effect test online free here. It takes about a minute, and you can try again to beat your time.
How to play Stroop Test
- A color word appears, such as RED, printed in a different ink color.
- Choose the ink color, not the word you read.
- Answer all 20 words as quickly as you can.
- Your score is your total time and the number of correct answers.
Stroop Test tips
Blur the word slightly
Focusing on the shape of the letters rather than reading them helps many people see the color first.
Accuracy before speed
A wrong answer costs more than a short pause. Start steady and speed up once you feel in control.
Practice both rounds
Try a round where words and colors match, then one where they clash. The gap between your two times is your personal Stroop effect.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Stroop effect?
It is the delay you feel when a word's meaning and its ink color clash, for example BLUE printed in red. Reading is so automatic that it gets in the way of naming the color.
Who discovered the Stroop effect?
The American psychologist John Ridley Stroop described it in 1935. It is still one of the best-known experiments in psychology.
Does this test diagnose anything?
No. It is a fun attention exercise, not a medical or psychological assessment.
