Stroop - Subject Baseline
This measure appears in the following time-points: Baseline.
Related Construct
Description of Measure
Cognitive dysfunction related to impairment to the frontal cortex of the brain is assessed through the use of two well-accepted neurological tests, the Stroop Color-Word Test and the Trail Making Test. Specific information regarding the Trail-making Test can be found in another codebook section. The dimensions tapped by the Stroop have been associated with cognitive flexibility, resistance to interference from outside stimuli, creativity, psychopathology and cognitive complexity (see Golden, 1978).
The Stroop Color and Word Test (Golden, 1978) is used to examine the effects of interference on reading ability. The Stroop contains three parts: word page (the names of colors printed in black ink), color page (rows of X's printed in colored ink) and word-color page (the words from the first page are printed in the colors from the second page; however, the word meanings and ink colors are mismatched), each with 5 columns containing 20 items. The subject's task is to look at each sheet and move down the columns, reading words or naming the ink colors as quickly as possible, within a given time limit (45 seconds). Three scores, as well as an interference score, are generated using the number of items completed on each page, with higher scores reflecting better performance and less interference on reading ability. The Stroop can be used on both children and adults (Grade 2 through adult), and testing can be done in approximately 5 minutes.
Stroop scores
- Word (three different scores: predicted [S0predword], deviation [S0dword] & T-score[S0tword])
- Color (three different scores: predicted [S0predcol], deviation [S0dcolor] & T-score [S0tcolor])
- Color-Word (three different scores: predicted [S0predcw], deviation [S0dcolwor] & T-score [S0tcolwor])
- Predicted Color-Word (two different scores:interference [S0difcw] & interference T-score [S0tdifcw])
- Marker for Diagnosed Prefrontal Disorders [S0prefont]
- Marker for Diagnosed Prefrontal Pathology [S0prepath]
Interpreting the Stroop scores
General Notes
- Word, color, and color-word T-Scores of 40 or less are considered "low."
- Word, color, and color-word T-Scores above 40 or are considered "normal."
- In order for one score to be considered "higher" or "lower" than another, a 10 point or greater T score difference is required.
Interpreting Word T-Scores
Word T-scores of 40 or less may stem from one or more of the following:
- motor speech problems
- poorly developed reading skills attributable to a learning disorder and/or lack of opportunities to learn to read
- English is a second language
- injuries to the posterior left hemisphere
Interpreting Color T-Scores
Color T-scores of 40 or less may indicate:
- disorders of the dominant temporal-occipital areas of the posterior right hemisphere
Color T-scores of less than 40, in combination with word T-scores above 40, suggest one or more of the following:
- an inability to identify color names
- color blindness
Color T-scores of 40 or less, in combination with word T-scores of 40 or less, suggest one or more of the following:
- speech impairment
- low intelligence
- malingering or lack of effort
Interpreting Color-Word T-Scores
Color-word T-scores of 40 or less, in combination with word and color T-scores above 40, suggest one or more of the following:
- prefrontal pathology
- acute emotional turmoil
Color-word T-scores at least 10 points higher than color or word T-scores, combined with raw color-word scores 20% or more below raw color scores and 30% or more below raw word scores, suggest:
- good ability to inhibit conflicting responses
Interpreting Interference T-Scores
Interference T-scores of less than 40, in combination with color or word T-scores of greater than 40, suggests:
- prefrontal disorder
Interference T-scores greater than 40, in combination with color and word T-scores above 40, suggest one or more of the following:
- good cognitive flexibility and ability to respond to task demands
- poor dominance of the word naming system over color naming system
Other patterns that might suggest disorder/pathology
If the color T-score is above 40, the word T-score is 40 or less, and the raw color-word score is more than 80% of raw color score, this suggests:
- acquired or developmental dyslexia
- other reading disabilities or delays
- brain injuries to the left parietal-temporal areas of the brain
If word and color T-scores are 40 or less, and the raw color-word score is at least 80% of the raw color score, this suggests:
In adults:
- a generalized disorder (which may be associated with low intelligence)
In children:
- non-dominant or diffuse disorder
If the word T-score is 20 or less and color and color-word T-scores are greater than 40, this may suggest:
- brain injury causing dyslexia
When color, word, color-word are below 30, this may suggest:
- mental retardation
- left hemisphere injury
- diffuse brain injury (indicated if interference T-score is above 40)
If word T-scores are above 40 and color and color-word T-scores are 40 or less, this suggests:
- right hemisphere injuries that have caused an inability to classify color hues
Patterns indicating invalid test results
If color T-score is above 40, and word and color-word T-scores are 40 or lower, this may suggest:
- malingering or lack of motivation on word or color-word tasks
Score patterns in which the raw color-word score is higher than the raw color score suggest invalid results.
Data Issues
- The stroop is missing or incomplete for a total of 17 cases: one subject that could not read, nine subject's that are colorblind, and another seven that did not complete the stroop.
References
- Golden, C. (1978). Stroop color and word test. Illinois: Stoelting Company.