Carla participates in an experiment in which she has to read a list of words that are the names of colors.Some of the words are printed in the same colored ink as the word; others are not.For instance,sometimes the word blueis printed in blue ink,and sometimes the word blueis printed in red,green,or black ink.The researcher records the amount of time it takes for her to read each word.Carla's reaction time is likely to ____ when the word and the ink are the same color and ____ when they are different colors.
A) increase; increase
B) decrease; decrease
C) decrease; increase
D) increase; decrease

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is known as the Stroop effect, which is the phenomenon where the brain has difficulty processing conflicting information. In this case, the word itself is its own color, which creates conflicting information for the brain to process. When the word and ink are the same color, it is easier for the brain to process, resulting in a decrease in reaction time. When the word and ink are different colors, it creates conflicting information for the brain to process, resulting in an increase in reaction time.

Carla Participates in an Experiment in Which She Has to Read