Chapter 1 - A Brief Chronology of Mental Chronometry

Abstract

This chapter presents a brief chronology of mental chronometry. Psychology as a quantitative, experimental science began with mental chronometry, the empirical study of reaction time (RT). The chapter briefly reviews some earlier history in philosophy and physiology. It discusses the philosophic background and the introduction of RT measurement in physiology. The chapter also presents a discussion on the experimental psychology of RT. The history of this subject is virtually a microcosm of the development of what is referred to as the “two disciplines of scientific psychology” —differential and experimental. Differential psychology as a quantitative science began with a practical interest in the measurement of individual differences in RT. Experimental psychology began with the investigation of the effects of manipulating various external conditions on variation in the measurements of RT.RT research also had another origin—in astronomy. The experimental psychology of Wundt paid no attention to individual differences, except as a source of “nuisance” variance that had to be minimized or controlled by “averaging out” its effects over a number of individuals. More recent historical landmarks in RT research, both in experimental and differential psychology, are presented.