Cited by 511Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurobiology of Language and BilingualismNeural dynamics and brain function

The Electrophysiological Dynamics of Interference during the Stroop Task

Open access
Hanslmayr, Simon, Pastötter, Bernhard, Bäuml, Karl-Heinz, Gruber, Sieglinde, Wimber, Maria, Klimesch, Wolfgang·2008·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

Abstract

If subjects are required to name the color of the word red printed in blue ink, interference between word meaning and ink color occurs, which slows down reaction time. This effect is well known as the Stroop effect. It is still an unresolved issue how the brain deals with interference in this type of task. To explore this question, an electroencephalogram (EEG) study was carried out. By analyzing several measures of EEG activity, two main findings emerged. First, the event-related potential (ERP) showed increased fronto-central negativity in a time window around 400 msec for incongruent items in contrast to congruent and neutral items. Source localization analysis revealed that a source in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) contributed most to the difference. Second, time-frequency analysis showed that theta oscillations (4–7 Hz) in the ACC increased linearly with increasing interference and that phase coupling between the ACC and the left prefrontal cortex was longer persistent for incongruent items compared to congruent and neutral items. These effects occurred at a time window around 600 msec. We conclude that interference between color naming and word meaning in the Stroop task manifests itself at around 400 msec and mainly activates the ACC. Thereafter, sustained phase coupling between the ACC and the prefrontal cortex occurs, which most likely reflects the engagement of cognitive control mechanisms.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1162/jocn.2008.20020

Cites

51 of 51 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

The text we found for this paper looks like another document, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The text we found for this paper looks like another document, so the self-check wasn’t run.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Hanslmayr, S., Pastötter, B., Bäuml, K.-H., Gruber, S., Wimber, M., & Klimesch, W.
Affiliations
  • University of Regensburg (DE)
  • University of Salzburg (AT)
Venue
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Published
2008-02-01
Volume
20
Issue
2
Pages
215-225
ISSN
  • 0898-929X (ISSN-L)
  • 1530-8898
OpenAlex
W4233703573
Cited by
510
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 30
FWCI
7.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Regensburg Publication Server (University of Regensburg) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (FOR-448)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
Keywords
Stroop interference, interference, cognitive control, anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, theta oscillations, phase coupling, event-related potentials, source localization, time-frequency analysis
MeSH terms
Adult, Analysis of Variance, Attention, Cerebral Cortex, Color Perception, Cortical Synchronization, Discrimination, Psychological, Evoked Potentials, Female, Field Dependence-Independence, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Photic Stimulation, Reading, Reference Values, Comprehension

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review