Evidence for Two Types of Task Conflict in a Color-Digit Stroop Task

Abstract

In the present study, we conducted a Stroop-like task in which the participants were required to decide whether the presented stimulus, which could be either a colored digit or a colored rectangle, consisted of more or less than five colors. Like other Stroop-like tasks, the stimuli could be congruent (the stimulus was a digit that was equal to the presented number of colors), incongruent (the stimulus was a digit that was different than the presented number of colors), or neutral (a colored rectangle). We utilized a two-to-one response setting so that in some incongruent trials the digit and the number of colors would elicit the same response (e.g., the digit 3 containing two colors; both are smaller than 5), while in some incongruent trials, the digit and the number of colors would elicit different responses (e.g., the digit 3 containing 6 colors). This enabled us to measure both conflicts arising from stimulus-stimulus and stimulus-response compatibilities. Our results indicated the existence of stimulus-stimulus compatibility (SSC), stimulus-response compatibility (SRC), and task conflict. Interestingly, these effects were in interaction with the number of colors, so that in small numbers, SSC and SRC were found, and in large numbers, SRC and task conflict were found. Moreover, the results suggest that our task includes two types of task conflict that are raised due to three different tasks: processing the meaning of the digit vs. estimating the number of colors and counting the number of colors vs. estimating the number of colors.

Keywords: Stroop effect; numerical cognition; stimulus-response conflict; stimulus-stimulus conflict; task conflict.

Figure 1

An Example of An Incongruent Trial. Note. Participants were required to report whether the number of colors that painted the presented stimulus was smaller or larger than 5.

Figure 2

Error Rate for Each Congruency Condition. Note. Cong = congruent, Neu = neutral, IC – SR = incongruent – same response, IC – DR = incongruent – different response, Small = numbers smaller than 5, Large = numbers larger than 5. Error bars represent 95% confidence interval from the mean.

Figure 3

Mean Reaction Time for Each Congruency Condition. Note. Cong = congruent, Neu = neutral, IC – SR = incongruent – same response, IC – DR = incongruent – different response, Small = numbers smaller than 5, Large = numbers larger than 5. Error bars represent 95% confidence interval from the mean.