A Sensory Origin for Color-Word Stroop Effects in Aging: Simulating Age-Related Changes in Color-vision Mimics Age-Related Changes in Stroop

ABSTRACT

An increase in Stroop effects with age can be interpreted as reflecting age-related reductions in selective attention, cognitive slowing, or color-vision. In the present study, 88 younger adults performed a Stroop test with two color-sets, saturated and desaturated, to simulate an age-related decrease in color perception. This color manipulation with younger adults was sufficient to lead to an increase in Stroop effects that mimics age-effects. We conclude that age-related changes in color perception can contribute to the differences in Stroop effects observed in aging. Finally, we suggest that the clinical applications of Stroop take this factor into account.

Keywords:

• Cognitive aging
• Stroop
• Selective-attention
• Sensory aging
• Speed of processing

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This study was partially supported by a group grant on Sensory and Cognitive Aging, funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grants (STP-53875, MGC-42665, & MOP-15359), and a research opportunity program grant from the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto Mississauga. The first author was partially supported by a grant from the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (2008-ABI-PDF-659). We wish to thank Wu Yan (Lulu) Li, Linh Le Truc Nguyen, Nicole Durham and Amanda Dydynski for their assistance in collecting the data.

Notes

¹Because there was no reason to believe that a reduction in color-vision would result in faster color-naming responses, a one-tail test was indicated. In addition, a non-parametric test (Mann–Whitney) also found a significant difference between the two groups [Mann–Whitney U(N ₁ = 29, N ₂ = 59) = 616, p < .05, two-tailed].