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The word says one color, the ink is another. Pick the ink color, not the word.

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About this page & FAQ

About PlayMemorize Stroop

PlayMemorize Stroop is a free implementation of the Stroop color-word task, one of the most famous tests in cognitive psychology. You see a color word like "RED" printed in a different color ink (e.g. blue) and must pick the ink color, ignoring what the word says. The mismatch creates interference that slows you down: the Stroop effect.

What it measures. The Stroop task measures selective attention and response inhibition - the ability to override a dominant, automatic response (reading) in favor of a less automatic one (naming the color). It is used clinically to assess executive function.

Adjustable difficulty. Pick your Mode (Normal names the ink, Reverse reads the word), choose the number of colors (4 or 6), set a per-trial time limit, or play untimed. Congruent trials (word and ink match) are mixed with incongruent trials to create the classic interference pattern. Best score and fastest reaction time are tracked separately for each mode, since reading words is more automatic than naming colors.

Part of the PlayMemorize family of free brain-training games.

Najczęściej zadawane pytania

Q: What is the Stroop effect?

The Stroop effect is the slowing in reaction time that happens when you must name the ink color of a word whose text spells a different color (e.g. the word "RED" in blue ink). It was first described by John Ridley Stroop in 1935.

Q: What does the Stroop test measure?

Selective attention and response inhibition - two core components of executive function. Clinicians use it to screen for attention disorders, frontal-lobe dysfunction, and cognitive fatigue.

Q: What is Reverse mode?

In Reverse mode you read the word and ignore the ink, instead of naming the ink and ignoring the word. Reading is more automatic for literate adults, so reverse is markedly easier - that asymmetry is one of the classic findings of Stroop research. High score and fastest time are tracked per mode so the easier variant does not mask your Normal-mode best.

Q: Is the Stroop test free?

Yes, completely free. No account, no ads. Your best score and average reaction time are saved locally.

Q: Why is it harder when the word and color do not match?

Reading is automatic for literate adults; naming a color is not. The automatic response (read the word) competes with the required response (name the ink), creating interference that costs time.