Abstract
An individual’s reaction time data to visual stimuli have usually been represented in Experimental Psychology by means of an ex-Gaussian function. In most previous works, researchers have mainly aimed at finding a meaning for the parameters of the ex-Gaussian function which are known to correlate with cognitive disorders. Based on the recent evidence of correlations between the reaction time series to visual stimuli produced by different individuals within a group, we go beyond and propose a Physics-inspired model to represent the reaction time data of a coetaneous group of individuals. In doing so, a Maxwell–Boltzmann-like distribution appeared, the same distribution as for the velocities of the molecules in an Ideal Gas model. We describe step by step the methodology we use to go from the individual reaction times to the distribution of the individuals response within the coetaneous group. In practical terms, by means of this model we also provide a simple entropy-based methodology for the classification of the individuals within the collective they belong to with no need for an external reference which can be applicable in diverse areas of social sciences.
Highlights
Understanding the processes of decision-making is a fundamental goal in the social, behavioral and cognitive sciences and reaction time (RT) to a specific stimulus is a measure of how quickly an organism can respond
We have discussed the appearance of the Ideal Gas theory when interpreting the RT data of a group of individuals
We have built a physics-inspired model to represent the RTs of a coetaneous group of individuals and considering that they form a system, that is, a collective [25]
Summary
Understanding the processes of decision-making is a fundamental goal in the social, behavioral and cognitive sciences and reaction time (RT) to a specific stimulus is a measure of how quickly an organism can respond. Reaction time distributions are positively skewed [11,12], are not properly described by standard central tendency estimators, such as the mean and standard deviation [13] In this respect, the ex-Gaussian function has been proven to optimally fit the probability distribution curves of the RT. The most commonly diagnosed cognitive disorder in childhood affecting the RT is Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) In this respect, the exponential component τ is found to correlate with ADHD, in male children [21]. Relevant frequencies appear when the reaction times along the sequence of stimuli are analysed by Fast Fourier Transform [25,26] These results suggest the existence of a system rather than single uncorrelated individual. Our model can provide a simple classification methodology of the individuals within a collective they belong to, without a need for an external reference
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