The famous Stroop Effect is named after J Ridley Stroop who discovered this controversial phenomenon in the early twentieth century. This experiment consists of the individual reading the color or ink of the word instead of the word. A good quality example is the word "RED" printed in yellow ink. The individual should say yellow instead of red. This exercise becomes so tricky for the mind due to the fact that the words themselves have a strong effect on your ability or effectiveness to say the word. The interference or confusion between the information your brain receives causes a great confusion. Due to this great confusion two main theories have been developed the theory of speed processing and selective attention theory. The speed processing theory consists of the fact that words are identified and processed quicker than color so when you are instructed to read the color your brain processes the information slower. The other theory that was developed due to this effect consist of the confusion occurring because it requires more attention to identify colors and name them than just reading words, this theory is known as the Selective attention theory. As the mind becomes more developed and reading becomes more of a daily activity, this experiment confuses the mind even more. If this experiment were to be conducted on an illiterate person or a child that does not know how to read at a decent level this experiment would come very easily to them since colors are easier for them to recognize than words.The confusion in the brain occurs in the cingulate area. This area of the brain lies between the left and right portions of the frontal brain and is responsible for some of the thought process and emotional responses.

Source: "Neuroscience for Kids" / http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html

The Myth of Multitasking-Christine Rosen

Why is multitasking considered by many psychologists to be a myth?
Multitasking is considered a myth because psychologoists have discovered multitasking is just a natural response to the hyperkinetic enviorment in which we live and in which there is always something constantly ocurring. Multitasking ccan be defined as task-switching that leads to a less productive individual.

To what does the term "response selection bottleneck" refer?
This response refers to a situation in which the brain is forced to respond to several activities at once. As a result of this task-switching time is lost in considerable amounts due to the fact that the brain takes longer to choose what task to perform first.


David Meyer has found that multitasking contributes to the release of stress hormones and adrenaline. Why is this important?
Contrary to other psychologists Meyer believes individuals can train their body to multitask. Though he found trough this constant task-switching the brain releases stress hormones and adrenaline which can contribute to long term health problems. This realease of hormones should be controlled due to the fact that it can also contributes to the loss of short-term mmeory. In a world so bust multitasking can sometimes become unvoluntarily and highly risky.

Explain what Russell Podrack found regarding multitasking.
Russell discovered trough study that multitasking severly affects you learning skills make them less felxible or more specialized. Even though you retain certain information it is then harder to retrieve or rebember the information. He then concluded humans are not built to live such a busy lifestyle and become less efficent in the long run even though they appear more efficent.

What does the author conclude could happen to our culture as a result of increased multitasking?
The author mentions how we will probably naturally adjust to our busy enviorment which may lead to long term health problems or a decline in productivity. Our future cultures
will become aware of several things but wont be able to really process or learn them leading to a culture weak in wisdom but big in information.

The Story Mbuti Tribes

Times, people, society and technology change and evolve but a tribe that has remained loyal to their roots and beliefs has been the Bambuti tribes. This African tribe is classified as pygmy hunters that live in the Congo region of Africa. This tribe is considered one of the oldest indigenous society in Africa. The Bambuti tribes are characetrized for being very solitary individuals and like to travel in small bands of 15 to 60 people. This small group is then divided into four different cultures which are the Efe, the Sua, the Mbuti and the Aka which is consideres the smallest group or divison. This people are caracterized for living under a very strict set of rules and traditions one of their strongests beliefs consists of family unit. Each house in a village holds a family unit. These houses are temprary due to the fact that Mbuti people are considered hunters and gathers so as dry season arrives they miggrate closer to the rain forest. The Mbuti tribes are self sustainable and famous for their wide range of variety in goods and food. Such an intresting tribe called the attention of the famous British anthropologist Collin Turnbull. Collin observed this tribes in their native area for long period of times and decided to change things up a bit when he took one of the few Mbuti translators with him on an expedition and was astonished by the small and restriced perception of the world the Mbuti posessed. This translator was in shock when he was able to view large areas of land without trees due to the fact that he was so acucustomed to an area filled with trees and restricted view or panaroma. The translator from the Mbuti was also surprised when he observed bulls running towards him and perceived their change in size. The translator was tricked by optical illusion. These were some of the small but significant discoveries Collin achieved troughout his extensive study of the Mbuti tribes. Collin helped modern society understand how these pymgies have such a small understanding of the modern and outside world they view something as common as optical illusion as magic.