Stroop Effect Lab Report Comparison
Frida-mel Fernandez Belliard
City College
Writing for Engineering ENGL 21007
Professor Elisabeth von Uhl
March 25, 2024
Stroop Effect Lab Report Comparison
The goal of a lab report is to show what happened in an experiment. Authors typically follow a format to make it easy to understand, including sections like an introduction, procedure, results, tables or graphs, conclusion, and a reference page. The Stroop Effect, a well-known phenomenon in psychology, highlights how individuals take longer to name the color of a word when it conflicts with the word’s meaning. In this analysis, three lab reports on the Stroop Effect are examined to assess their clarity and effectiveness in conveying findings. The first report, ‘The Stroop Effect in Greek Healthy Population: Normative Data for the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test’ by Ioannis Zalonis and colleagues, focuses on normative data in the Greek population, contributing valuable insights into cognitive functioning (Zalonis et al., 2009). The second study, ‘The Effect of Music on Accuracy in the Stroop Test’ by Andrew Kim, Ph.D., MPH, investigates the influence of music on Stroop test performance, revealing potential correlations between auditory stimuli and cognitive function (Kim, 2015). Finally, ‘Evidencing Inhibitory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Through Interference Effects and Shifting Disabilities in the Stroop Test’ by Hélène Amieva explores inhibitory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease, providing valuable insights into cognitive impairments associated with the condition (Amieva et al., 2004). Among the three articles analyzing the Stroop Effect, “The Stroop Effect in Greek Healthy Population: Normative Data for the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test” by Ioannis Zalonis and colleagues appears to be the most well-structured presentation of findings, focusing on normative data and how it relates to the Greek population (Zalonis et al., 2009).
In selecting the most effective title among “The Stroop Effect in Greek Healthy Population: Normative Data for the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test”, “The Effect of Music on Accuracy in the Stroop Test”, and “Evidencing Inhibitory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Through Interference Effects and Shifting Disabilities in the Stroop Test”, “The Stroop Effect in Greek Healthy Population: Normative Data for the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test” is the most effective . This title encapsulates the study’s focus on the Stroop Effect within a specific demographic (Greek healthy population) and highlights the type of data obtained, so it offers a clear insight into the research’s objectives. In contrast, “Evidencing Inhibitory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Through Interference Effects and Shifting Disabilities in the Stroop Test” , while informative, it appears slightly less effective due to its length and complexity and some readers may find it more challenging to digest compared to the first title. As for “Evidencing Inhibitory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Through Interference Effects and Shifting Disabilities in the Stroop Test” ,while effectively communicating the focus and purpose of the study, may not be as effective due to its complexity. The title is very long nd contains multiple complex terms, potentially making it less accessible and understandable to a broader audience . Additionally, the title may not immediately convey the specific variables under investigation or the population studied, which could hinder readers’ initial comprehension and engagement with the research.
An effective abstract serves as a good summary of a research study, it provides readers with a clear understanding of the study’s purpose, methods, results, and conclusions. It also acts as a brief overview, helping readers determine the relevance of the study to their interests and whether they wish to read the full article. While evaluating the provided abstracts for the three lab reports, the first lab report on the Stroop Effect in Greek Healthy Population effectively conveys the study’s purpose, aiming to provide normative data for the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test in a sample of healthy Greek participants (Zalonis et al., 2009). It summarizes the main findings concerning the impact of age and education on Stroop test scores and concludes by emphasizing the significance of the study’s findings for clinical practice. Overall, this abstract conveys the research study’s key elements in a clear and organized manner (Zalonis et al., 2009). The abstract for the second lab report on the Effect of Music on the Stroop Test introduces the Mozart Effect and its relevance to music listening and cognitive processing (Kim, 2015). It outlines the study’s aim to investigate the music’s impact on Stroop test performance through the arousal-and-mood hypothesis and briefly outlines the experimental design . While it effectively communicates the study’s objectives and findings, this abstract could benefit from providing more detailed information on the methods used and the implications of the results.
Among the three lab reports, the report discussing the Stroop Effect in Greek Healthy Population demonstrates the best language and terminology utilization . It maintains a professional tone throughout and effectively incorporates relevant terminology associated with neuropsychological testing and cognitive functions. For example, it uses terms like “normative data,” “neuropsychological screening,” and “interference Color–Word score” to accurately describe the study’s objectives and findings (Zalonis et al., 2009). In the article it states, “The purpose of the present study is to provide normative data for Trenerry’s Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test (SNST) in a sample of 605 healthy Greek participants” (Zalonis et al., 2009, p. 81). This quote demonstrates the clarity and specificity of language used in conveying the study’s focus and methodology. On the other hand, the report exploring the Effect of Music on the Stroop Test displays less effective language and terminology usage compared to the other two reports. While it effectively introduces the concept of the Mozart Effect and discusses relevant research findings, the language lacks the precision and sophistication found in the first report. For example, it states, “The aim of this study is to examine the effect of music through the arousal-and-mood hypothesis by using the Stroop task,” which is relatively straightforward but lacks the technical depth present in the language of the first report and it could benefit from more precise terminology.
In conclusion, analyzing three lab reports on the Stroop Effect shows how important it is to communicate research findings clearly. While all reports follow a standard format, some are easier to understand than others. “The Stroop Effect in Greek Healthy Population: Normative Data for the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test” is the clearest, with a straightforward title and well-organized abstract. The other reports have longer, more complex titles and abstracts, making them less accessible . This analysis highlights the importance of using simple language, clear titles, and concise abstracts to help readers understand and engage with research effectively.
Reference Page
Kim, A. (2022). The effect of music on accuracy in the Stroop test. Psychology in the Schools. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.1002/pits.22689
Kim, A., Ph.D., MPH. (2022). The effect of music on accuracy in the Stroop test. *Psychology in the Schools*. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.1002/pits.22689
Zalonis, I., Christidi, F., Bonakis, A., Kararizou, E., Triantafyllou, N. I., Paraskevas, G., Kapaki, E., & Vasilopoulos, D. (2009). The Stroop Effect in Greek Healthy Population: Normative Data for the Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test. *Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology*, 24(1), 81–88. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acp011
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