John Ridley Stroop

John Ridley Stroop was a psychologist known for discovering the "Stroop Effect," a phenomenon demonstrating how our brain processes conflicting information. In a typical test, color words (like "red" or "blue") are printed in ink of a different color (e.g., the word "red" printed in blue ink). People tend to take longer and make more errors when reading the word's meaning versus identifying the ink color, revealing how automatic reading interferes with color recognition. This effect highlights the challenges our brain faces in tasks requiring attention and cognitive control, and it has been widely used to study attention, processing speed, and mental flexibility.