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Why does RED printed in blue trip us up?

Imagine the word RED printed in blue ink. Saying the ink color can take longer than reading the word, especially when the two disagree. This is the Stroop effect: a simple demonstration that opens questions about attention, practiced reading, and competing responses.

4–5 min

Questions you could explore

  • How would you compare matching words, conflicting words, and plain color patches?
  • What could a slower response reveal about competing tasks, and what could it not diagnose about one person?

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Choosing between two offers can feel different when a third appears beside them. A decoy is less attractive than one option on the relevant features, but its presence does not reliably change every decision.

5–7 min

Can an option nobody wants change what people choose?

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How can you miss something that is right in front of you?

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Psychology

When a question reshapes a memory

After a car crash or a crime, the way an investigator phrases a single question can change what a witness remembers seeing. Research on eyewitness reports separates what someone originally observed from information introduced afterward, making question wording a crucial part of the evidence problem.

3–7 min

When a question reshapes a memory

Psychology3–7 minAfter a car crash or a crime, the way an investigator phrases a single question can change what a witness remembers seeing. Research on eyewitness reports separates what someone originally observed from information introduced afterward, making question wording a crucial part of the evidence problem.

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