Stroop Test
A color word appears in a different ink color — click the INK COLOR, not the word! 20 rounds, as fast as you can.
Click the INK color
READY?
About Stroop Test
The Stroop Test is one of the most famous psychological experiments in history, first described by John Ridley Stroop in 1935. A color word (like "RED") is shown in a different ink color (like blue). Your brain automatically reads the word, but you must resist that impulse and click the actual ink color instead. This conflict between automatic reading and deliberate color recognition tests your cognitive flexibility, attention, and processing speed.
Controls
- Color Buttons — Click the button matching the INK color of the displayed word
- Start Game — Begin a 20-round session
- New Game — Reset and start over at any time
How to Play
- A color word appears in a colored ink — the word and ink are always different.
- Click the color button that matches the INK, NOT the word.
- Each correct answer earns points. Wrong answers subtract points.
- Each round has a 3-second time limit — answer before the bar runs out!
- Complete all 20 rounds and beat your best score!
Frequently Asked Questions
Reading is an automatic, highly practiced skill. When you see a word, your brain processes its meaning faster than it processes color. This conflict between two competing responses is called the Stroop Effect — it's a fundamental feature of human cognition.
You earn 5 points for each correct answer. Wrong answers deduct 2 points. Time-outs count as wrong. Your final score out of a maximum of 100 is saved as your best.
Yes! With practice, most people get faster and more accurate. The Stroop Effect diminishes with repeated exposure as your brain gets better at suppressing the automatic reading response.