Stroop There It Is!: The Stroop Effect in Native and
Non-Native Languages
Nicole Nielsen-Bowles, Tiffany Shigeoka,and Alysson DeLange
University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Background❏ “Studies of Interference in Serial Verbal
Reactions” (Stroop, 1935)❏ The Stroop Effect
Research question❏ Does the Stroop Effect
occur (to the same
degree) for individuals
who speak more than
one language?
hypothesesH1. People will be faster at Matched condition vs. Mismatched condition in both native and non-native languages
H2. There will be a less prominent Stroop Effect in the non-native language compared to the native language
Rationale: Less automaticity in non-native language
Participants❏ Adults (18+) at the
University of Hawai’i at Manoa, speaking both English (native) and Japanese (non-native)❏ Department of Psychology❏ Various Japanese classes
❏ East-West Center residence halls
❏ Word of mouth
Procedure1. Survey❏ Indicate native & non-native language (and if applicable, other
languages known)❏ Use of Likert scale to measure non-native language proficiency using
four items: speaking, comprehension, writing, and reading (Heidlmayr et al., 2013)❏ Measures of fluency for non-native language
Procedure cont’d2. Complete Stroop task in native and non-native languages
❏ Participants are counterbalanced so there is an even number for native or non-native condition first (either English/Japanese)
❏ Always used matched chart first before the mismatched chart❏ Directions: “You’ll see color words with the matching ink color in
English, report back in English”❏ Measuring DV’s:
❏ Completion Time❏ Accuracy (using a premade answer key)
English-matched
red green blue purple
blue brown red green
brown red purple blue
purple blue green brown
green purple brown red
blue brown red green
purple blue green brown
green purple brown red
red green blue purple
brown red purple blue
English-mismatched
green purple brown red
purple blue green brown
brown red purple blue
blue brown red green
purple blue green brown
brown red purple blue
red green blue purple
green purple brown red
blue brown red green
red green blue purple
Japanese-matched
むらさき みどり あか あお
ちゃいろ むらさき みどり あか
みどり あお あか むらさき
あお みどり むらさき ちゃいろ
あか ちゃいろ あお みどり
みどり むらさき ちゃいろ あお
ちゃいろ あか むらさき みどり
あお ちゃいろ みどり あか
むらさき あか あお ちゃいろ
あか あお ちゃいろ むらさき
Japanese- mismatched
ちゃいろ みどり あか あお
むらさき あお ちゃいろ みどり
あか ちゃいろ みどり むらさき
みどり むらさき ちゃいろ あか
あお あか むらさき ちゃいろ
むらさき ちゃいろ あお みどり
ちゃいろ みどり あか あお
みどり むらさき あお あか
あか あお むらさき ちゃいろ
あお あか みどり むらさき
Preliminary Results❏ n= 9
❏ English = Native❏ Japanese = Non-Native
❏ Limitations❏ Data collection ongoing❏ Control for proficiency
❏ Potential Conclusions❏ Testing Native Japanese
speakers
❏ Revised hypothesis for true bilinguals
ReferencesHeidlmayr, K., Moutier, S., Hemforth, B., Courtin, C., Tanzmeister, R., &
Isel, F. (2013). Successive bilingualism and executive functions: The effect
of second language use on inhibitory control in a behavioural Stroop Colour
Word task. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 17(03), 630-645.
doi:10.1017/s1366728913000539
Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal
of Experimental Psychology, IS, 643-662.
http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Stroop/
Questions?