Introduction (around 2 double-spaced pages) YOU MUST USE THE ARTICLES.

A. Opening section: (starting broad) – about 1 paragraph

-Define the general problem of selective attention.

-Give an anecdote that describes a real-world situation involving the need to select task-relevant from irrelevant information

-Link this real-world situation to the Stroop paradigm (this provides an argument that the Stroop paradigm can be used to understand how selective attention works.)

B. Middle section: (discussing prior work, previous articles)

-Define the Stroop paradigm (1-2 paragraphs) Cite Stroop (1935)

-Describe the basic features of a Stroop experiment

-Describe the assumptions of the horse-race model (1-2 paragraphs) — MACLEOD 187-188

(e.g., the model assumes color and word information have different processing times – Mention that the purpose of the experiment is to test predictions of the model.)

C. Final section: (narrowing down to the aims of the experiment)

-Explain that the specific aim of the experiment is to test the horse-race model of the Stroop further effect.

-Briefly describe the independent variables that will be manipulated

– Congruency (congruent vs. incongruent)

-Task (color vs. word)

-Does the model (horse) predict a main effect of congruency? CITE MACLEOD IF NECESSARY

Rationale behind the hypothesis!

-Does the model predict a main effect of task?

Rationale behind the hypothesis!

 

 

-Does the model predict an interaction between Congruency & Task?

Rationale behind the hypothesis!

-Briefly explain what participants will do in your experiment.

There are three hypotheses you need to emphasize BUT REWRITE IN YOUR OWN WORDS:

– Based on the main effect of congruency, whether reaction times for

incongruent items are expected longer than those for congruent items.

– Based on the main effect of the task: Whether reaction times for the

color task are expected longer than those for the word task.

– Based on the interaction effect between congruency and task: Whether

reaction times for the difference between the incongruent and

congruent items for the color task are expected bigger than the

difference between those for the word task.

Based on the Horse Race Model, automaticity, selective attention, you need to clarify why you expect each hypothesis in this way. This will clarify the rationale behind each hypothesis