The Stroop Interference Effect in Young Children: A Developmentally Appropriate Approach

Author(s): Sheila O'Brien Quinn, Eugene P. Quinn

DOI: https://doi.org/10.65030/idr.03017

Abstract: Automaticity has been identified as a good predictor of cognitive skill development in children. Unfortunately, the Stroop Word Test, traditionally used to assess automaticity in adults, is not useful with children who are not fluent readers. In this study, a computerized Stroop Numbers Test, based on previous work with adults (Windes, 1968), was administered to 103 children aged 4 to 7 years. All groups in this study made significantly more responses during the neutral conditions than the interference condition, thereby establishing sensitivity to the Stroop Effect in children 2.5 to 3 years younger than previously documented (MacLeod, 1991).

Keywords: Automaticity; Cognitive development; Interference tasks; Numerical processing; Childhood development; Cognitive assessment; Reaction time measures; Stroop

Pages: 183-187

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