Color Conflict
A clinical measure of inhibitory control based on the Stroop Effect. Color names appear in conflicting ink colors — identify the ink color, not the word. Speed and accuracy both count.
Inhibitory Control Assessment
Click the INK COLOR — not the word meaning
2.5 seconds per round · wrong answer or timeout = game over
01 /How to Play
- A color word will appear in a conflicting ink color (e.g., the word 'RED' printed in green).
- Click the button matching the INK COLOR — not the word's meaning.
- Respond as fast as possible — both speed and accuracy are measured.
- Each correct answer scores a point. One wrong answer ends the test.
- Your score is the number of correct answers before your first mistake.
02 /The Science
The Stroop Effect, first documented by John Ridley Stroop in 1935, is one of the most replicated findings in cognitive psychology. When color words are printed in conflicting ink colors, reaction times increase by 100–200ms because reading is a highly automatized process that competes with intentional color identification. The anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex must actively suppress the prepotent reading response to produce the correct answer. This task is a gold-standard measure of inhibitory control — the executive function responsible for overriding automatic responses — and is used clinically to assess ADHD, frontal lobe integrity, and age-related cognitive decline.
03 /Pro Tips
- Defocus your eyes slightly to perceive color over meaning — a technique called gestalt processing.
- Name the ink color silently before clicking — this engages a parallel verbal pathway that bypasses reading.
- Practice improves performance measurably — the prefrontal cortex becomes more efficient at suppressing automatic responses.
- Fatigue dramatically worsens Stroop performance — take the test when alert.
- Don't rush — accuracy matters more than raw speed in this assessment.