Go! Stop! Stroop!

There's a test somewhere on internet which tests reaction times, or recognition times, of the names of colors. It is a test of the Stroop effect. For example you have to say what color is the text of a word, but the word is green, and maybe it is written in red.

When you do the equivalent test in black and white people are generally more accurate and faster. The problem, presumably, is because the brain recieves two messages...

1. The color of the letters
2. What the letters say.

...and has to conciously decide which is correct.

A red arrow stop sign in a traffic light is a place where a shape and a colour disagree. This is why I don't like these traffic lights...

I did not like them even before I heard about the Stroop effect. The red stop arrow I particularly dislike, because an arrow, to me, say "GO! GO! GO!" while the red color says "STOP!"

So, combined, they confuse me. But maybe it is because I'm limited, as my "friends" and "family" hint every now and then. I like simple clarity:

"So how does one indicate direction?" I hear you ask. Well a board above the traffic lights with arrows and pointers and destinations used to be considered a sensible solution...

And here is a traffic sign where shape and colour do agree: