Reaction Time
Reaction Time (RT)
Common measure indicating how
long it takes a person to prepare
and initiate a movement
The interval of time between the
arrival of a suddenly presented,
unanticipated signal (stimulus) and
the beginning of the response to it.
Performance Outcome Measures
Movement Time
(MT) Stimulus
Initiation of
Response
Termination
of Movement
Time interval from
the initiation of the
response to the Reaction Movement
termination of the Time Time
response Response Time
Response Time
RT + MT
Performance Outcome
Measures
Types of RT Tasks
Simple RT:
S1R1
Choice RT: Simple RT Choice RT
S1R1
S2R2
S3R3
Discrimination RT (go
- no go):
S1R1
S2 no R Discrimination RT
S3 no R
RT Interval Components
An Electromyograph (EMG)
enables us to fractionate RT to
obtain more specific information
about movement preparation
Fractionated RT has two
components
Pre-motor time
Motor time
Performance Outcome Measures
Components of RT
Warning Go Movement
Premotor Time Begins
Time interval from the
presentation of the
stimulus to the onset of
electrical activity at the
muscular level
Motor Time
Time interval from the Premotor
Time
Motor
Time
onset of electrical
Reaction Time
activity to the initiation
of the response
Use of RT in Research
RT has a long history as an “index”
to assess specific aspects of
human performance.
RT is used as a means to
Infer what a performer does to
prepare to perform an action
Premotor time: perceptual & cognitive
decision-making
Motor time: priming the muscle,
overcoming limb inertia
Events and Time Intervals
of RT and Movement Time
Information Processing
Information-Processing
Approach
A computer analogy is
often used to explain
the concept of
information processing.
Input → information
processing →
response → output
Three Stages
of Information Processing
1. Stimulus Identification
Make some
representation of the
stimulus: object or
movement pattern
2. Response Selection
Decide on response
3. Response
Programming
Preparing the action
(typing in the code)
Reaction Time (RT) &
Information Processing
RT represents the speed
of information processing
When RT is lengthened
relative to a control trial,
that means at least one
stage of info processing
became longer
How do you test for it?
Events and Time Intervals
of RT and Movement Time
Warning Go Initiation of
Termination
Signal Signal response
of response
Reaction Movement
Foreperiod Time Time
Time
Reaction Time is comprised of the 3 Information
Processing Stages
Donder’s Subtractive
Method
Stage 1
Stimulus Identification
1. Stimulus Detection
Stimulus clarity
Sharp > out of focus
Stimulus intensity
Loudness or brightness
Stimulus modality
Auditory > visual stimulus
2. Pattern Recognition
Chess, watching game
film
Looming
Factors That Influence
Reaction Time
Number of possible stimuli
Precuing
S-R Compatibility
Foreperiod Length & Regularity
Movement Complexity, Accuracy
Practice
Double Stimulation
Hick’s Law
There is a stable relationship between the
number of stimulus-response options and
choice reaction time.
As the number of S-R pairs increases, choice
reaction time increases in a linear fashion.
Choice RT = a + b [log2 (N)] -> X=log2(N) -> 2=log2(4) ->
4=log2(16)
Where a & b = empirical constants
N = S-R pairs
Hick’s Law
Precuing
Predictability of the correct R
choice
As the predictability of one choice
increases, RT decreases
Precuing: arm to move (L,R), direction
(toward,away), & extent (short,long)
Why?
Probability of precue correctness
Cost-benefit trade-off
Response Compatibility
Stroop Effect
Stroop Effect
Stroop effect—a mental
experiment showing that humans
are able to process two stimuli in
parallel during the stimulus-
identification stage and that
processing more than one stimulus
results in longer information-
processing time
Factors That Influence
Reaction Time
Foreperiod length regularity
RT increases/decreases as a function
of the length and the regularity of
the length of the RT foreperiod
Movement complexity
• RT increases as amount of
complexity of the action increases
First demonstrated by classic
experiment by Henry and Rogers (1960)
Factors That Influence
Reaction Time
Movement accuracy
• RT increases as movement accuracy
demands of the action increase
• Movement duration
• RT increases as movement duration
increases
Effect of Practice
on Reaction Time
Greater practice time results in
shorter choice reaction times.
Practice keeps reaction time from
increasing, even when stimulus-
response alternatives increase.
Skills often become automatic.
If the same stimulus always leads to
the same response, choice RT
becomes quicker (consistent mapping)
Double Stimulation Paradigm
Interstimulus Interval (ISI)
Bottleneck theory
Response Programming
Stage
Remember closing the car door while
the key is in the ignition?
Psychological Refractory Period (PRP)
The delay in a person’s RT to the 2nd of two
closely spaced stimuli relative to the
Control RT
RT2 is longest when the ISI is 50-60 ms
Double-stimulation
paradigm
Movement-Output Chunking
Max. of 3 actions
per second
The act of
organizing and
producing several
movements as a
single unit;
