The Simplest Chronoscope II: Reaction Time Measured by Meterstick versus Machine

Abstract

Visual simple reaction time (SRT) scores measured in 31 college students of both sexes by use of the simplest chronoscope methodology (meterstick SRT) were compared to scores obtained by use of an electromechanical multi-choice reaction timer (machine SRT). Four hypotheses were tested. Results indicated that the previous mean value of meterstick SRT was replicated; meterstick SRT was significantly faster than long-standing population estimates of mean SRT; and machine SRT was significantly slower than the same long-standing mean SRT estimates for the population. Also, the mean meterstick SRT of 181 msec, was significantly faster than the mean machine SRT of 294 msec. It was theorized that differential visual information processing occurred such that the dorsal visual stream subserved meterstick SRT; whereas the ventral visual stream subserved machine SRT.

References

Brebner

J. T.

Welford

A. T.

(1980) Introduction: An historical background sketch. In Welford

A. T.

(Ed.), Reaction times. New York: Academic Press. Pp 1–23.

Cohen

(1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. (2nd ed.) Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Donders

F. C.

(1868/1969) On the speed of mental processes. In Koster

W. G.

(Ed. and Transl.), Attention and performance II. Amsterdam: North Holland. Pp. 412–431.

Galton

(1899) On instruments for (1) testing perceptions of differences of tint and for (2) determining reaction time. Journal of the Anthropological Institute, 19, 27–29.

Gatewood

E. L.

(1920) Individual differences in finger reactions. Psychological Monographs, 28, Whole Number 126.

Goodale

M. A.

(2004) Perceiving the world and grasping it: Dissociations between conscious and unconscious visual processing. In Gazzaniga

M. S.

(Ed.), The cognitive neurosciences III. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Pp. 1159–1172.

Goodale

M. A.

(2007) Duplex vision: Separate cortical pathways for conscious perception and the control of action. In Velmans

Schneider

(Eds.), The Blackwell companion to consciousness. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Pp. 616–627.

Gravetter

F. J.

Wallnau

L. B.

(2004) Statistics for the behavioral sciences. (6th ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thompson.

Milner

D. A.

Goodale

M. A.

(2008) Two visual systems re-viewed. Neuropsychologic 46, 774–785.

10.

Montare

(2009) The simplest chronoscope: Group and interindividual differences in visual reaction time. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 108, 161–172.

11.

Nicholls

J. G.

Martin

A. R.

Wallace

B. G.

Fuchs

P. A.

(2001) From neuron to brain. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates.

12.

Pieron

(1928) Technique de laboratoire et appareils. L'Annee Psychologie, 37, 234–241.

13.

Snodgrass

J. G.

Levy-Berger

Haydon

(1985) Human experimental psychology. New York: Oxford Univer. Press.

14.

Welford

A. T.

(1980) Relationships between reaction time and fatigue, age, stress and sex. In Welford

A. T.

(Ed.), Reaction times. New York: Academic Press. Pp. 321–354.

15.

Woodworth

R. S.

(1938) Experimental psychology. New York: Holt.

16.

Woodworth

R. S.

Schlosberg

(1954) Experimental psychology. (Rev. ed.) New York: Holt.