Colour Priming, Warning, And Anagram Performance

Running head: COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 1

Colour Priming, Warning, and Anagram Performance

Name

Institution

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 2

Color Priming, Warning, and Anagram Performance

Method

Participants

Three hundred and ten participants made up of college students from Florida

International University (98.3%), workers (1.4%), and senior citizens (0.3%) were randomly

selected to participate in this study. Of these 310 participants, 61.3% (N=190) were male and

36.7 % (N=120) were female. Ages ranged from a minimum of 17 years to a maximum of 66

years, with an average of (M=24.1) years (SD=14.6). Our sample population consisted of

38.7% Native Americans (N=120), 22.5% Hispanic Americans (N=70), 19.4% Caucasian

(N=60), 11.3% African Americans (N=35) and 8.1% others (N=25).

Materials and Procedure

Materials utilized for this study consisted of the online questionnaires which the

participants accessed online via mobile phones, desktop computers, laptop computers and

tablets. Each questionnaire was divided into four major parts. Part one was the Anagram Task

which was made up 20 (four letter) anagrams. Part two was the Study Perception. This part

had eight questions about the reactions by the subjects to the anagram task. The rating scale

that was used was the likert rating scale in all the questions except part two and it had ranging

responses from number one to nine. These enquiries had quite a lot of distinct choices about

the colour ink which was remembered by the participants. Instructions were provided with a

third of the questionnaires from the participants being red in colour; one third had their

instructions in green and white colour was made up a third. Parts three contained of the

Memory Recall Task and this element had a total of four questions and finally parts four

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 3

which consisted of Demographic Information which included seven questions about the

participants’ demographics.

Procedure

The study consisted of two main phases. Researchers approached the participants at

different times in the first phase and inquired from them if they participate in an online study

that was majorly used for the research purposes. If the participants agreed to take part in the

research process they directed to the examination process which was developed through the

Qualtrics. The participants were also noticed about the benefits and potential risks that were

likely to occur during the period of the study before they were presented the relevant research

materials. This was done in accordance of the uniform guidelines for informed consent. Once

the contestants confirmed their sanction to take part in the study they were suitable to

continue with the rest of the study and therefore the survey moved to the next stage. The

second phase was made up of procedures where participants were randomly presented with

four questionnaires. Some were shown an anagram task with red ink and a forewarning about

anagram performance. Others were shown the yellow instructions without any warning and

the last group received the instructions in green ink without any warning.

In the first part of the swot, contestants were requested to pursue the directions at the

page top. As soon as they finished reading the instructions printed in red, green and black

they were reminded that they had three minutes to unscramble as many anagrams as they

could and this was done by constructing innovative words using the original letters. A one-

minute warning was given before time was up. Once they unscrambled as many of the 20

scrambled words as possible in the time limit provided, participants moved on to the next

part. The next part of the survey introduced an anagram recall task by asking participants to

identify in one minute from a list of 15 words as many words as possible that they had

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 4

encountered before in the anagram solving task. Out of the 15 total words, 10 were actual

words from the anagram list and 5 were distracters.

Demographic information such as gender, age, ethnicity, language, whether they

were a student at Florida International University, whether they were colour-blind, and their

marital status and others were asked by was asked from the participants in the final part.

When the survey reached into a conclusion, all the participants were appreciated for their

participation. Also, after completing the survey, each participant was debriefed.

The first independent variable was ink colour with two levels (red vs. green). The second

independent variable was forewarning participants about their performance on the anagram in

relation to the ink colour of the instructions they received. This new variable had two levels:

warning vs. no warning.

The number of anagrams solved was the main dependent variable in the current study.

Although there were several other dependent variables, we focused on the strategy check

regarding participants’ recall of the colour of the text in which the anagram instructions were

written (three-colour choices: red, green and black). Furthermore, a second dependent

variable was introduced in study two, that is, the number of anagrams recalled correctly,

which represents a memory task. We also analyzed the interaction between ink colour and

warning for both dependent variables.

Results

Chi-square test was used to check colour manipulation, with ink colour (red vs. green)

as independent variable and whether participants recalled the colour of the text in which the

anagram instructions were written as dependent variable. There was a significant effect, χ

(1)

= 160.628, p < .001. Participants in the red ink colour (93.2%) and green ink colour (93.6%)

conditions correctly recalled the colour of the text in which the anagram instructions were

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 5

written (Table 1). This indicates that participants did pay attention to the actual colour of the

ink in which the anagram instructions were written in their respective questionnaires.

Another Chi-square test was used to check warning manipulation, with warning

message (warning vs. no warning) as independent variable and whether participants recalled

they were given warning message or not as dependent variable. There was a significant

effect, χ2 (1) = 225.456, p < .001. Participants in the warning condition (95.6%) and no

warning conditions (97.6%) correctly recalled the presence of warning message (Table 1).

This indicates that participants noticed the manipulation of warning.

The first 2 x 2 factorial ANOVA was analyzed, with ink colour (red vs. green) and

warning message (present or absent) as independent variables and anagram performance as

dependent variable. There was a significant main effect of warning message on the number of

anagrams solved, F (1, 209) = 149.485, p < .001. Participants who received a warning

message (M = 9.201, SD = 1.368) did significantly worse on the anagram than those who did

not get the warning message (M = 12.100, SD = 1.962). There was a significant main effect

of ink colour on the number of anagrams solved, F (1, 209) = 30.709, p < .001. Participants

who received red instructions (M = 9.825, SD = 1.705) performed significantly worse on the

anagram task than those who got green instructions (M = 11.490, SD = 2.368). The

interaction effect between two independent variables (ink colour and warning) on anagram

performance was also analyzed. There was no significant interaction between warning

message and colour of instructions on anagram performance, F (1, 209) = 3.296, p = .071

(Table 2). The second 2 x 2 factorial ANOVA was analyzed, with ink colour (red vs. green)

of instructions and warning message (present or absent) as independent variables and

anagram recall as dependent variable. Results demonstrated that there was a significant main

effect of warning message on the number of anagrams recalled, F (1, 209) = 26.145, p < .001.

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 6

Participants who received a warning message (M = 7.163, SD = 1.158) did significantly

worse on the anagram recall task than those who did not get the warning message (M = 8.009,

SD = 1.049). There was a significant main effect of ink colour on the number of anagrams

recalled, F (1, 209) = 26.145, p < .001. Participants who received a warning message (M =

7.163, SD = 1.158) did significantly worse on the anagram recall task than those who did not

get the warning message (M = 8.009, SD = 1.049). There was a significant main effect of ink

colour on the number of anagrams recalled, F (1, 209) = 7.880, p = .005. Participants who

received red instructions (M = 7.310, SD = 1.129) performed significantly worse on the

anagram recall task than those who got green instructions (M = 7.863, SD = 1.169). The

interaction effect between two independent variables (ink colour and warning) on anagram

recall was also analyzed. There was no significant interaction between warning message and

Discussion

There were two main results in the two studies. Each examined two main effects and

one interaction effect on dependent variable (number of anagrams solved and number of

anagrams recalled). The number of the anagrams solved in the first dependent variable

predicted a main effect of colour condition and for forewarning. The results obtained did

support these predictions that those who received red instructions did significantly worse on

the anagram than those who received green instructions. The results also indicated that

participants who received a warning message did significantly worse on the anagram than

those who did not get the warning message. Furthermore, we predicted an interaction effect

between colour condition and forewarning on the number of anagrams solved.

The prediction found that the main effect of colour condition and forewarning in the

second depend variable anagram recall therefore it was not supported by the results obtained

in the study. The results obtained did support these predictions that those who received red

instructions did significantly worse on the anagram recall task than those who received green

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 7

instructions. There was also an indication from the results about the participants who received

a warning message did significantly worse on the anagram recall task. We also predicted an

interaction effect between colour condition and forewarning on anagram recalled. Therefore

these results did not support the prediction.

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 8

Table 1

Manipulation Check for Ink Colour Variable

Level of variable

Percentage

Red

93.2

Green

Black

5.6

(1) = 160.628, p < .001

Manipulation Check for Warning Variable

Level of variable

Percentage

Warning

95.6

No warning

97.6

I didn’t notice

7.9

(1) = 225.456, p < .001

Table 2

2x2 ANOVA on Anagram Performance

Source

Sum of

squares

Mean

Corrected model

533.054

177.685

71.024

.000

Intercept

23266.714

9300.091

.000

Ink colour

76.827

30.709

.000

Warning

373.979

149.485

.000

Ink colour *warning

8.246

3.296

.071

Error

522.870

209

2.502

Total

25376.000

213

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 9

Table 3

2x2 ANOVA on Anagram Recall

Source

Sum of

squares

Mean

Corrected model

48.261

16.087

13.611

.000

Intercept

11863.726

1037.882

.000

Ink colour

9.313

7.880

.005

Warning

30.901

26.145

.000

Ink colour *warning

.806

0.682

.410

Error

247.016

209

1.182

Total

12586.00

213

COLOR PRIMING, WARNING AND ANAGRAM PERFORMANCE 10

References

Campbell, D., & Lele, S. (2014). An ANOVA test for parameter estimability using data

cloning with application to statistical inference for dynamic systems. Computational

Statistics & Data Analysis, 70, 257-267.

Rossi, J. S. (2010). Chi‐Square Test. The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology, 1-1.

Place new order. It's free, fast and safe

Paper type

Deadline

Page count

550 words

Total price: $ 15.00

Our customers say

Jeff Curtis

USA, Student

"I'm fully satisfied with the essay I've just received. When I read it, I felt like it was exactly what I wanted to say, but couldn’t find the necessary words. Thank you!"

Ian McGregor

UK, Student

"I don’t know what I would do without your assistance! With your help, I met my deadline just in time and the work was very professional. I will be back in several days with another assignment!"

Shannon Williams

Canada, Student

"It was the perfect experience! I enjoyed working with my writer, he delivered my work on time and followed all the guidelines about the referencing and contents."