Measuring individual corrective reaction time using the intermittent illumination model

Abstract

The corrective reaction time (tcr) is an essential motor property when modelling hand control movements. Many studies designed experiments to estimate tcr, but reported only group means with inconsistent definitions. This study proposes an alternative methodology using Drury's (1994) intermittent illumination model. A total of 24 participants performed circular tracking movements under five levels of visual information delay using a modified monitor in a darkened room. Measured movement speeds and the manipulated delays were used with the model to estimate tcr of individuals and test effects of gender and path width. The results showed excellent model fits and demonstrated individual differences of tcr, which was 273 ms on average and ranged from 87 to 441 ms. The wide range of tcr values was due to significant effects of gender and path width. Male participants required shorter tcr compared to female participants, especially for narrow path widths.