Visual Choice Reaction Time Research Articles

Behavioral Relaxation Training and Motor Performance of Learining Disabled Children with Hyperactive Behaviors

The purposes of this study were to determine if learning-disabled males referred with hyperactive behaviors could be taught to relax, and to measure the effects of relaxation training on an attention demanding motor task. Subjects were given behavior relaxation training and a modified visual choice reaction time task. There was a dramatic decrease in the number of unrelaxed behaviors (BRS scores) for all subjects across training. A training effect for the response time task for all subjects was noted following the baseline stabilization phase. This study supports the use of behavior relaxation training as a technique for teaching learning-disabled males to relax. Also, it suggests that being in a relaxed state may facilitate performance on an attention demanding motor task.

Intersensory facilitation and inhibition: Immediate arousal and location effects of auditory noise on visual choice reaction time

Monaural and binaural soundbursts varying in intensity (60 to 105 dB(A)) were conjointly presented with a visual two-choice imperative signal that required either a left or right manual response. The soundbursts exerted two effects on reaction time (RT): (1) a facilitating or immediate arousing effect proportional to the intensity of the sound, and (2) an inhibiting or location effect depending on whether the ear of simulation corresponds to the left/right hand reaction. In a second experiment the location effect was investigated with more complex S-R mappings. A critical parameter with regard to occurrence and amount of inhibition appears to be whether the rule about the S-R relations is violated by the location of the accessory sound.

The effects of two alternative timings of a one-hour nap on early morning performance

The effect on performance and sleepiness of two alternative timings of a one-hour nap (2100h and 0430h, respectively) were compared with a control condition (no nap). Twelve healthy male subjects divided into three groups participated in a partly balanced repeated measurements design. At all three occasions the subjects slept 4 h during the preceding night, worked during the day and were then kept awake (except for naps) in the laboratory from 1700h to 0800h the following morning. Performance was measured through a 10-min single choice visual reaction time task administered at 1900h and 0700h. Sleepiness was measured through self-ratings and sleep latency tests at 2100h and 0600h. The results showed clear positive effects of naps (especially the 0430h nap) on performance. The sleep latency measurements showed similar, but less clear tendencies, while ratings of sleepiness did not differentiate between conditions. It was concluded that a one-hour nap could counteract the late night performance decrement.

The correlation of EPQ psychoticism with two behavioural measures of impulsivity

The Psychoticism (P) scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) was correlated with performance on two behavioural measures of impulsivity: total number of Errors in a choice reaction-time (RT) task, and number of Taboo Responses in an open-ended creativity test. Experiment 1 employed 20 Ss in an auditory RT situation and using an untimed creativity test. P correlated strongly and positively with a logged Taboo Responses measure but not with a logged Errors score. The correlation of P with Errors reached statistical significance when the biserial correlation of P with Errors/No Errors was calculated. Experiment 2 employed 35 Ss in a visual choice RT situation and using a timed creativity test. Questionnaire scales of Venturesomeness, Impulsiveness and Empathy were also used. Both behavioural indices were significantly correlated with P, but not with Venturesomeness or Impulsiveness. The results constitute further support for the view that the P scale of the EPQ contains a strong impulsivity component.

The Effect of Atenolol on Reaction Times and Concentration

Visual reaction time and choice reaction time were determined after combined physical and mental stress to examine the influence of the β- adrenoceptor blocking agent atenolol on driving- related abilities. Electro- oculography was used in 2 groups of males in a double- blind crossover study, after three days of placebo or 50mg of atenolol. In the first group of subjects in both periods of the experimental design, visual reaction time was longer with placebo than during treatment with atenolol; their interquartile differences as measures of the concentration of the subjects showed the same effect. The beneficial effects of treatment were small, but highly significant. In the second group there was no effect of atenolol on visual reaction lime, choice reaction time or the number of correct reactions per time period. From both studies it is concluded that atenolol does not impair either reaction times or concentration.

Repeated Measures on a Choice Reaction Time Task

The current investigation examined a visual choice reaction time (CRT) task to determine its suitability for repeated measures experimentation. Fifteen Navy enlisted men served as subjects for one-, two-, and four-choice reaction time conditions. Fifty trials on each condition were administered for 15 consecutive workdays. Reaction time (RT), movement time (MT), and total time (TT) were recorded for each trial. Results indicated that across all RT conditions, intersession correlations were differentially stable by about Day 8, with reliabilities around .71. Means remained unchanged over the stable days and variances remained constant across all 15 days of the experiment for the RT measure. It was concluded that studies using RT as the dependent variable should allow for sufficient RT practice prior to data collection to ensure that the results are not contaminated by learning effects. It is recommended that at least 1000 practice trials be given prior to using an RT task to assess the effects of an environment.

Simple reaction time as a function of preparation for a subsequent choice reaction time task

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that an increase in the number of alternatives in the choice reaction time task would lengthen the reaction time in the inunediately preceding simple reaction time task because of higher attentional preparation demand. The simple reaction time task involved an auditory click and was performed between the warning light and the visual choice reaction time task. The hypothesis was confirmed. The increase in simple reaction time as a function of information load of the subsequent choice reaction time task was explained in terms of an increased amount of conunitment of limited-capacity attentional system and was interpreted as signifying that there is at least partial parallel processing of the two tasks. The relation of these results to some recent data on the effect of expectancy and limited-capacity short-term memory was discussed.

Sex Differences in Decision and Movement Time

It has been shown (Landauer, Armstrong, & Digwood, 1980) that, while there are no sex differences in visual choice reaction time, women perform faster on the decision part of the task, while men perform faster on its motor aspects. Some specialized equipment has recently been developed by Dr. G. Schuhfried Instruments of Modling, Austria. While their ERM-apparatus is primarily meant for psychopharmacological and other applied uses, the equipment divides visual reaction time into a decision component. The subject is instructed to keep the index finger of his preferred hand on a rest button. A semi-circular array of eight sensor-touch buttons are placed some 100 mm from the rest button. T h e subject is asked to respond as quickly as possible by moving his finger from the rest button and to touch the button which corresponds with the stimulus shown on a panel in the center of the appararus. The time which elapses from the presentation of the stimulus till the subject lifts his finger from the rest button is the decision time, the movement time is the time between lifting the finger from the rest position until the correct button is touched; reaction time is the sum of both values. A microprocessor controls the type of symbol presented (not only letters and numerals can be presentedn but also nonsense shapes), difficulty level of programs, repetitions, delays, etc. However, in the experiment reported, the numerals 1 to 8 were used and subjects received two blocks of 12 presentations in which six d~gi t s were shown in random order at random intervals. The first block was used for practice and the results were disregarded, while the data of the second block were used to evaluate sex differences. The equipment provides a printout of the mean decision time and mean reaction time; from this the mean movement time can be calculated. Other results provided include number of missed stimuli, wrong responses, and false alarms. A sample of 12 men and 12 women who were students or staff members of the Psychology Department was used; the subjects' mean age was 30.3 yr. (range 19 to 47 yr.) . The mean decision time for men was 810 msec. ( S D = 135) and 708 msec. ( S D = 142) for women. The difference was statistically significant: wonlen responded faster than Inen ( t = 2.19, p < .05). As far as mean movement time is concerned, men took 239 mesc. ( S D = 113) while women took 310 msec. ( S D = 8 2 ) . Again, this difference was significant ( tr , = 2.28, P < .05) . There was no significant difference in the total mean reaction times. The results confirm that women are faster in makine. a decision in a visual choice-reaction time task. This may well indicate that women have greater cognitive abilities.

Effects of ad lib extended-delayed sleep on sensorimotor performance, memory and sleepiness in the young adult

Behavioral functions were studied in 16 healthy young adult males who slept regularly for 7–8 hr following two electrographically recorded conditions of continuous sleep. The conditions consisted of a rigidly scheduled 12–8:00 a.m. control night and an ad lib session when the times for sleep were at the subjects' own inclination. Thirty minutes after awakening from each condition measurements were obtained from (1) short-term memory, (2) visual choice reaction time and (3) auditory vigilance tasks, and (4) the Stanford Sleepiness Scale. A statistically significant augmentation of total sleep occurred on the ad lib nights (mean=9.6 hr) compared with the control condition (mean=7.5 hr) which was mainly due to an average 2.7 hr delay in awakening times. Following ad lib extended-delayed sleep there was a significant decline in performance on all tasks and significant elevation of sleepiness scale ratings 90 min after awakening. This effect of ad lib sleep, like behavioral deficits characteristically arising from disturbances in the diurnal rhythm, was mainly apparent early during testing and increased little with time. The results of the present study support the assumption that phase-delays in accustomed awakening times were largely the cause for the specific performance decrements observed rather than extended sleep per se.

Event-Related Potentials in Altered States of Consciousness

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the event-related potentials (ERPs) in altered states of consciousness (ASC). Preliminary studies suggested that, compared to a control group, subjects practicing techniques inducing ASC had better performances in choice reaction time tasks. This result could be because of increased levels of selective attention and perhaps to different strategies in sensorimotor information processing. This study is undertaken to test these hypotheses, by analyzing the event-related potentials—and in particular the late positive P300 wave—occurring during a visual choice reaction time task. The RT task partially confirms the hypothesis of a better performance for the experimental subjects: (1) long term effects of ASC induction (intergroup comparison) are reflected by shorter RTs and fewer wrong responses for the ES, (2) immediate postinduction effects consisted only in an improvement of accuracy in ES, whereas no change is brought about by rest for the controls, and (3) there are no short or long term effects of induction or rest on time estimation.

The Effect of Irrelevant Information on the Stages of Processing

The Sternberg (1969) additive factor method was used to determine whether the stimulus encoding stage was affected by an irrelevant auditory stimulus presented during a visual choice reaction time task. Subjects responded to an X or an O by pressing a left-or right-hand key. Onset of this visual stimulus was accompanied by a tone to the left, right, or both ears. Reactions were slower when the locus of the tone did not correspond with the side of the response than when it did correspond. Manipulation of the quality of the visual stimulus, assumed to affect the stimulus encoding stage, did not alter the effect of the irrelevant auditory cue. In a parallel experiment, the same stimuli were used, but the responses employed were "neutral" with respect to the source of the tone. This alteration of response selection operations eliminated the effect of the auditory cue. Findings, then, suggested that irrelevant information did not affect the stimulus encoding stage but, instead, affected the response selection stage of processing.

Information Processing Components of Digit Symbol Performance in Schizophrenia

The present report is of the relationship between digit symbol performance in schizophrenia and measures derived from a visual choice reaction-time task. The ability to ignore irrelevant visual stimuli was most closely related to digit symbol performance, other measures adding little to the predicted variance.

Effects of the restriction of conscious awareness in a reaction-time task.

The ascription of a proper role to consciousness in mental functions is pursued experimentally in the context of a visual-choice reaction-time task involving the presentation of an irrelevant auditory signal. Experimental Ss were programmed hypnotically in advance “not to hear” the irrelevant tone on half the trials; control Ss were given waking instructions to ignore the tone. The posthypnotic “ablation” of conscious awareness of the tone significantly attenuated its influence upon reaction time, whereas the control instruction had no effect. The results are suggestive in their implication of consciousness as a factor in the processing of cognitive events.

Laws of visual choice reaction time.

Laws of visual choice reaction time.

Variability in reaction times of normal and educable mentally retarded children.

The present study explores the differences and variabilities in reaction times of normal and educable mentally retarded children. The reaction times of 10 normal and 10 mentally retarded students (1Q 45 to 70) were tested by the Lafayette visual choice reaction-time test. A Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test showed significant differences between the reaction times of the normals and retardates on both the simple and choice tasks. It is suggested that future research should consider other abnormalities, aside from low IQ, that accompany mental retardation.

Effects of some variations in auditory input upon visual choice reaction time.

Effects of some variations in auditory input upon visual choice reaction time.

Effects of an irrelevant auditory stimulus on visual choice reaction time.

Effects of an irrelevant auditory stimulus on visual choice reaction time.

Effects of motivating instructions on reaction time in grade school children.

There is a striking paucity of data concerning the main and interactive effects of motivational factors on reaction time (RT) in both children and adults. The most widely cited study of this type is one by Johanson (5), who found, with three adult Ss, that simple RT was accelerated by punishing Ss with electric shock for relatively slow reactions or by simply furnishing knowledge of results after each trial. Rosenbaum (6), studying choice RT, found that threat of strong shock for slow reactions led to an improvement in the performance of college students. Threat of weak shock was not significantly effective. However, Farber and Spence (4), also working with college students, found no significant relations between threat of strong shock and movement time required for simple and choice reactions. These authors suggest that the effects of stress may interact with other variables which are as yet unknown. In a recent study, Blackburn (2) has investigated the effects of three kinds of motivating instructions (standard, urging, relaxing) on choice RT in nonpsychotic patients with supratentorial cerebral disease and a comparable group of patients with diverse neurological and medical complaints but with no cerebral disease. Initially, 30 visual choice RT trials were administered to each S under standard conditions. This was followed by differential instructions and by 30 postinstructional trials identical with the

Effects of prolonged gravitational stress on performance

Effects of prolonged radial acceleration on performance were studied in eight series of experiments: (I) Visual choice reaction time, (II) Visual acuity, (III) Accuracy of movement, (IV) Perceptual speed, (V) The Stroop test, (VI) The 100 - 3 test, (VII) Multiplication and (VIII) Time perception. Results obtained during 2 to 10 minute exposures to 3 g and under normal conditions before and after centrifugation, were compared. During radial acceleration performance was impaired in all but one of the test used.