MadSci Network: Neuroscience
Query:

Re: Does one's IQ deal with their performance of the Stroop Effect?

Date: Tue Dec 13 07:09:37 2011
Posted By: Alex Goddard, Postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University
Area of science: Neuroscience
ID: 1319352583.Ns
Message:

Hi Dededo,

Interesting question. It appears from a number of studies that performance on the Stroop test is indirectly correlated (or related to) with IQ. Two examples studies I found were here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16120535, and
http://en.scientificcommons.org/59005993.
Google scholar may help you get the actual articles.

An important note for the second study is that the correlations between stroop and IQ were not direct. Stroop performance and IQ often correlated with many of the variables studied, including behavioral performance and academic performance. That is to say, the kids who did well on tests and didn't act out in class often had a higher IQ and did better on the Stroop test. However, when the authors compared Stroop performance and IQ directly, they didn't see a strong or convincing correlation.

So ultimately, one can say that while Stroop performance doesn't accurately predict a person's IQ, the Stroop test may indicate aspects of attention or performance that influence behaviors also influenced by IQ. I know that's not a clear cut answer to your question, but unfortunately, it doesn't appear that a clear cut relationship exists!

Cheers,
Alex

References
Steinberg BA, Bieliauskas LA, Smith GE, Ivnik RJ.
Mayo's Older Americans Normative Studies: Age- and IQ-Adjusted Norms for the Trail-Making Test, the Stroop Test, and MAE Controlled Oral Word Association Test.
Clin Neuropsychol. 2005 19(3-4):329-77.

Imbroscianoa A, Berlacha RG
The stroop test and its relationship to academic performance and general behaviour of young students
Teacher Development. 2005 9(1):131-144.


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