Which psychological phenomenon does the Stroop effect primarily demonstrate?

• A. The influence of unconscious motives on behavior
• B. The impact of reinforcement on learning
• C. The role of physiological arousal in emotional experience
• D. The interference of automatic processing with controlled processing

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the Stroop effect as a classic psychological phenomenon used to study attention and cognitive control.
2. Recognize that the Stroop effect involves a task where individuals must name the ink color of a word that may spell out a different color name, creating a conflict between automatic and controlled processes.
3. Identify that automatic processing refers to fast, unconscious, and effortless mental activities, such as reading words, while controlled processing requires conscious effort and attention, such as naming ink colors.
4. Analyze how the Stroop effect demonstrates interference: the automatic process of reading the word conflicts with the controlled process of naming the ink color, causing delays or errors.
5. Conclude that the Stroop effect primarily illustrates the interference of automatic processing with controlled processing, highlighting how automatic responses can disrupt deliberate cognitive tasks.