May 27, 2005 :: No. 223

Andrew Klerer of Fullerton, a graduate student majoring in psychology at Cal State Fullerton, won first place in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category at the 19th annual CSU Student Research Competition. The systemwide competition among students from the 23 CSU campuses was held last month at Cal State Sacramento.

Klerer’s research is entitled “Finger Tapping Indicates Gender Differences, Possible Cerebral Hemisphere Asymmetries for Stroop Effect.”

Essentially, Klerer is looking at brain interference in how men and women process information. In his experiment, he had subjects look at lists of words representing colors. However, the words were color-coded so that text and colors did not always correspond. For instance, the word red appeared in blue ink. Subjects then were asked to name the colors and disregard the words. While doing so, subjects tapped their fingers on a computer mouse as rapidly as possible.

“It sounds easy but it isn’t,” Klerer said. “Many people see the color and want to say the name of the written word rather than the color of the print. What I’m trying to determine is how and why that ‘disconnect’ occurs by looking at finger-tapping rates.”

Based on his study of 36 individuals, Klerer discovered that females are more likely than males to experience this “cerebral interference,” that is, the difficulty in selecting the color rather than naming the written word. For Klerer — and researchers like him — this difference could explain gender differences in the way men and women process information.

“At this point, with only a preliminary study, we’re not sure why women process this differently than men,” he said. “It could be that females have a slight verbal advantage over men and so they’re more attuned or sensitive to reading the words rather than naming the colors.

We’re not sure if there’s an emotional component or a cognitive reason. That’s why research like this is helpful. It provides insight into how we process information.”

This research also may be helpful in diagnosing certain conditions, such as attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and impulse disorders. Klerer notes that much more testing and research needs to be completed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. Still, he is pleased that the work was recognized at the CSU system level and among professionals in the field.

At the competition, students were required to make oral presentations before juries of representatives from major corporations, foundations, public agencies, and colleges and universities in California.

“I was very surprised and flattered when I learned I had won,” Klerer said. “I am especially grateful to the professors in the Psychology Department at Cal State Fullerton, especially my adviser, Eriko Miyahara, who helped me develop the study. Now, I want to refine and develop this research.”

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