Adults' Versus Children's Performance on the Stroop Task: Insights From Ex-Gaussian Analysis

In the Geneva Variability Study, the Stroop task was administered to children and young adults. Interference and facilitation effects were investigated by comparing mean reaction times (RTs) and applying ex-Gaussian distribution analysis. Our analyses were motivated by three goals: First, we aimed to replicate the results obtained with young adults by Spieler, Balota, and Faust (2000); second, we applied this method to children's data; third, the question of age-related differences in these inhibitory processes was investigated with the ex-Gaussian approach. In young adults, findings pertaining to the interference effect reported by Spieler et al. (2000) were replicated; in children, the interference effect was only manifested in the estimated Gaussian parameters (Mean RT, mu, sigma); facilitation effects were only observed in children. The substantive meaning of the results and the advantages of ex-Gaussian analyses for describing RT distributions are discussed.