Simple Reaction Time Experiment Research Articles

The contingent negative variation and the excitability of the spinal monosynaptic reflex.

A method is described which permits simultaneous measurement of changes in slow electroencephalographic potentials (Contingent Negative Variation-CNV) and the excitability of the spinal monosynaptic arc (H reflex) during the foreperiod of a simple reaction time experiment. Data from 11 normal subjects show that during the development of the CNV there is an augmentation of the amplitude of the H-reflex. It is suggested that the two phenomena are controlled by a common subcortical structure.

Effects of a Timing Signal on Simple Reaction Time with a Rectangular Distribution of Foreperiods

It was hypothesized that the time course of preparation during a variable interstimulus interval (ISI) of a simple reaction time (RT) experiment was partly determined by the subjective distribution of conditional probabilities of the executive signal (ES). Sixty subjects performed a simple auditory RT task with various ranges of six ISI durations organized in rectangular frequency distributions. In order to give the subjects information about elapsed time during ISI, a recurring time-marking click, the periodicity of which was varied, was introduced during the ISI in one of the three series of trials each subject performed. A strong decreasing RT–-ISI relationship was observed supporting the main hypothesis. However, a clear increase of mean RT over all ISIs combined, was also found. Because these two mixed effects were greatest when the click intervened at the possible times of ES occurrence only, three functions of time-information given by the click are discussed: (a) a reduction of the usual increase of time estimation error with increased ISI; (b) an increase of the subjects knowledge of the ISI range resulting from the discontinuity of the time-marking click which makes easier a discrete time-intervals numbering process; (c) a change of the simple-RT task into a discrimination task.

Input-output relations in simple reaction time experiments.

The isotonic muscular effort was measured from the thenar muscles of human subjects during simple reaction time experiments. It was found that the output (Θ) was related to the input (φ) by a simple power law, i.e. Θ = φn for visual, auditory and electrical stimuli applied to the digits. The exponents found were 0.21, 0.11 and 1.04 for auditory, visual and electrical stimuli respectively. Although different from those determined by Stevens for the transformation of the input energy to a psychological magnitude, their relative values are almost identical.

Simple reaction time for good and poor readers in grades two and six.

Recently, the present authors (1971) ran an experiment that suggested no difference in word-scanning rate (words/sec.) between good and poor readers in the fifth grade. Ss were required to scan 2 or 3 word targets for the presence or absence of a predetermined word. Although scanning rates did not differ, the good readers were 250 msec. faster over-all than the poor readers. Such results suggested that the faster response time for good readers was due to superiority in perceiving the change in stimulation with target onset and/or superiority in performing the motor response itself. To assess these possibilities, a simple reaction time experiment was run which was closely analogous to the original task without the requirement to scan. Each trial consisted of a 20-msec. warning signal (buzzer) followed by the onset of a neon bulb 940 msec. later. The bulb remained lit until S responded by pressing a telegraph key. Ss were 12 good and 12 poor readers in the sixth grade and 15 good and 15 poor readers in the second grade. Ss were classified on the basis of Wide Range Achievement Test reading scores. After 4 practice trials, S was run for 30 trials. For each S , the reciprocal of the median latency ( in sec.) was computed for the five successive trials in each of six blocks. An analysis of variance performed on these data suggested only an effect due to grade (P = 4.3, df = 1/23, p < .05). The mean reciprocal latencies over 30 trials were: Good Second Grade Readers, 2.75; Poor Second Grade Readers, 2.67; Good Sixth Grade Readers, 3.61, Poor Sixth Grade Readers, 4.06. Clearly, processes involved in simple reaction time cannot account for the superiority of good readers in the scanning task (Katz & Wicklund, 1971). Since good and poor readers did not differ in scanning rate either, the superioriry of good readers may be due to a greater facility in retrieving the key word just prior to scanning. That is, difference between good and poor readers may be found in memory processes; our data have not suggested differences due to perceptual or motor processes.

The latency of response in relation to Bloch’s law at threshold’

Bloch’s law failed to hold for latencies of response in a threshold experiment where frequencies ofresponse did, nevertheless, obey the law. Dark-adapted Ss were instructed to respond as soon as they detected flashes of various luminances and durations. The frequency of response increased with increases in stimulus energy (luminance times duration); it was constant when energy was constant. The latency of response, measured from stimulus onset. varied inversely with energy; it also varied inversely with the luminance of flashes that were constant in energy. The results were consistent with data from earlier threshold and simple reaction time experiments.

Some experiments on simple and choice reaction time.

Abstract : The report concerns four problems on simple and choice reaction time (RT). First, in Experiments 1 and 2, the suthors examine the role of time estimation in the manipulation of responses in simple reaction time experiments by means of payoffs and information feedback. Second, in Experiment 3, they ask whether the changes in the shape and location of choice RT distributions as compared with simple ones are due primarily to the increase in the number of signals, in the number of responses, or in some more basic difference between the two tasks. Third, in Experiment 4, they investigate the relation between RT and signal presentation probability in choice situations. And, finally, using all of the empirical distributions obtained in Experiments 2, 3, and 4, an attempt is made to see if any of several theoretical distributions appear to give a satisfactory description of the data. (Author)

The Effect of Unusual Stimulation on Motor Coordination in Children

problem of learning. A study of the progress in co6rdination of the movements of the hand which the child can make with visual and electo-tactual stimuli recurring at regular intervals appeared to be of value in finding not only whether the child is or is not able to make the correct responses, but also in giving an analysis of the types of responses made in the attempts to learn such a problem. In this problem are involved some factors which have been previously investigated in connection with studies on the complication experiment, simple reaction time experiment, synchronic reaction experiment, and problems involving hand-eye codrdination. Because of these implications a brief historical survey will be given of this work.