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Exhibits: Colored Words
DescriptionThis exhibit looks like a freestanding sandwich board. It has three main interconnected components. The first part, a front panel with the heading "Colored Words," contains a list of color names printed in a different color than the name describes (ex: word RED printed in the color green). The second component is a panel which pulls up from inside the box and is a list of objects printed in different colors. A third panel lies flat on the table and contains additional background information. Activity
The individual tries to say aloud the color in which the words are printed instead of reading the actual words (ex: for the word RED printed in the color green, individual says "GREEN"). The individual tries the color word list first, followed by the object word list and compares the interference level of the two lists (ex: the word UMBRELLA printed in the color red). Some other ideas for this second list include using words in foreign languages or words printed upside down. Educational Objective and Scientific Concept
This exhibit highlights an effect called interference. Interference occurs when we are asked to pay attention to information we recognize, but which we are accustomed to thinking of as unimportant. People are used to reading words, but naming the color in which a word is printed is more difficult. Naming the color of a color-word written in a different color is even more difficult. Our understanding of the written word interferes with our ability to separate one task from another. This experiment is called the Stroop Test. Resources
Ontario Science Center
Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA