🎨 Colour Clash
How well you override autopilot. About 1 minute.
The word says RED but it's written in blue. Tap the colour you see, not the word.
About 1 minute. The first 4 words are practice and don't count. Then you get 45 seconds.
Why does this happen?
Once you've learned to read, you can't switch it off. Your brain reads the word before you've even decided to, so when the word says one colour and the ink shows another, the two answers fight.
To tap the right colour, your brain has to hold back the word it already read. That takes a split second longer, and sometimes the word slips through and you tap the wrong one.
Scientists call this the Stroop effect, after the researcher who described it in 1935. It's one of the best-known tests of self-control over automatic habits.
How it's measured
You get 4 practice words, then 45 seconds to get as many right as you can. Half the words match their ink (RED in red) and half clash (RED in blue).
You get a point for each right answer. Wrong answers take a point off, so guessing doesn't help.
"Clash cost" is how much the clashing words slowed you down: your typical time on clashing words minus your typical time on matching ones. Smaller means the words got in your way less.
Your results and history are saved in this browser. Each finished score is also sent to us anonymously (just the game, the score and whether you used a phone or a computer; no name, no account) so everyone can see how they compare. Just for fun: not a medical, IQ or hiring test.
More Brain Breaks
- ⚡ Reflex: how fast you react
- 🎯 Arrow Focus: how well you block out distractions
- 🔍 Odd One Out: how fast you scan a busy scene
- 🧠 Number Memory: how quickly you search your short-term memory
- 🔄 Twist It: your mind's eye for shapes
- 👀 Spot the Change: how quickly you notice a change
- 👁️ Eye Tricks: how easily your eyes get fooled