Hemispheric asymmetry in the processing of Stroop stimuli: an altered format.

As in previous studies, the interference condition of the Stroop (color words printed in incongruent ink colors) was presented to male and female subjects. Unlike earlier studies in which word and color responses were elicited randomly, subjects knew in advance what to expect. Word responses were grouped together as were the color responses. Fifteen males and 15 females served in each of two conditions--word responses first or color responses first. In this altered format, an analysis of covariance revealed no gender or order of presentation differences in relation of word to color responses. When analyzed separately, there were no differences on the color responses but significantly shorter latencies for males on word responses. Word response latencies were shorter when presented before rather than after color responses for all subjects. The strong Stroop effect was ever present.