Color-Word Stroop Interference Among Japanese Preschoolers

Stroop-reverse-Stroop interference is a phenomenon based on word-reading skill acquisition, especially the original color-word interference task. Few studies have examined preschool children, probably because early childhood school education is a requirement for the occurrence of Stroop-reverse-Stroop interference and because of difficulties in application to young children. However, many Japanese students have begun to acquire word-reading skills in preschool. To estimate the age at which Stroop interference occurs, standardized Stroop-reverse-Stroop interference tests were conducted of 58 kindergarten children using a blinker board to facilitate attentional stability. Results revealed the presence of Stroop interference among participants in the 4-5-year and 5-6-year age groups, although no reverse-Stroop interference was found. Developmental perspectives related to an older age group for Stroop-reverse-Stroop interference are discussed.