Psychology 2: Stroop Effect
ECG Cable Setup
- Plug the red, black and green leads into the REACH color coded ports.
- Snap the leads onto the stickie electrodes, then place the stickie electrodes like this:
- The black lead goes under the right clavicle.
- The red lead goes on the lower left clavicle.
- The green (ground) lead goes on the lower right abdomen.
- Make sure you snap the leads onto the stickie electrodes before putting them on yourself.
- When you are ready to start recording data, just make sure the you relax and sit very still so there is no movement interference on the data.
Heart Rate while Resting
Aim
To determine your resting Heart Rate.
Procedure
- Click on the Record button.
- Click on the AutoScale button.
- Type "Resting" in the Mark box and click the Mark button. This will make a black mark with text on your screen.
- Record for 5 minutes, then click Stop.
- Click File ---> Save As, name the file "StroopEffect", and save your data to your LabScribe Data folder on your Desktop.
Data Analysis
- Go to the beginning of your recording by clicking on the down arrow just to the right of the Mark Button and click the mark "Resting-ECG".
- Make sure to have at least 30 seconds of ECG on the screen. Double or half the display time by clicking the mountain icons. You may have to click them more than once.
- Move the cursors so they are 15 seconds apart and determine your mean heart rate. Look at the right side of the Heart Rate channel and read the MEAN value of your resting Heart Rate.
Note - Write all your values on a data table so you can refer back to them when answering the questions.
You can open and close the Journal using the "Notebook" icon.
NOTE: ONLY begin Exercise 2 after relaxing for 1 or 2 minutes after recording baseline.
Interference of Word Stimuli on Naming - Stroop Test
Aim
To determine the effect of words on the your ability to name the colors in which the words are printed.
Important Information:
- Press the event marker button only when the word and color match.
- If the word "BLACK" appears in black print – press the button.
- If the word "BLACK" appears in red print – do NOT press the button.
You will be shown a series of 50 words. The words will automatically advance. You have 750 msec to respond upon seeing the word, then the recording will show the next word on the screen.
Procedure
- Click on the "Stroop Effect" button in the Macro menu.
- Hold the REACH-DL in your dominant hand so you can press the event marker button easily.
- Click Record to begin.
- After all the words have been shown, record heart rate for at least 1 minute.
- Click Stop.
- Select Save in the File menu.
Data Analysis
- Scroll back through the recording to the beginning of the Stroop Test.
- Set your Display Time to 7 seconds by typing 7 in the Display Time box and clicking Enter.
- Look at the bottom of your screen:
- You will see marks that were made automatically by LabScribe based on the image that was shown:
- Example – Same-Red-Red OR Diff-Black-Green
- Count your responses to the ones that are the "Same" and the ones that are "Different".
- Scroll through the recording to count all your responses.
- You should have more responses to the ones that are the Same compared to the ones that are Different. Remember – you were only supposed to click when the color and the word matched.
- After counting all your responses, make sure you are at the end of the recording. Double the display time by clicking the two mountain peak icon twice.
- Position your cursors so they are 15 seconds apart and look at your mean heart rate. This will be your average heart rate after doing the Stroop Test.
- Enter your data in a data table or in the Journal.