Further Evidence That Negative Priming in the Stroop Color–Word Task is Equivalent in Older and Younger Adults

Authors

Deborah M. Little, University of Illinois at Chicago
Alan Hartley, Scripps CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Department

Psychology (Scripps)

Publication Date

2000

Disciplines

Cognitive Psychology | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

In 2 experiments, possible adult age differences in negative priming were explored using several variants of the Stroop color-word task. Negative priming was at least as high in the older adults as in the younger adults in every variant. Negative priming varied as a function of condition, but the age equivalence was unaffected. This result was true even when the possibility of general slowing was taken into account. Across conditions, interference and negative priming were positively correlated. The results do not permit a clear choice between the 2 major theoretical explanations of negative priming, inhibition and memory retrieval; they do show that negative priming can be systematically manipulated within an experimental paradigm.

Rights Information

© 2000 American Psychological Association

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

DOI

10.1037/0882-7974.15.1.9

Recommended Citation

Little, D. M., & Hartley, A. A. (2000). Further evidence that negative priming using the Stroop color-word task is equivalent in younger and older adults. Psychology and Aging, 15, 9-17. 10.1037/0882-7974.15.1.9