Temporal Measures

Question 1

reaction time

Answer 1

(RT) - go, no go reaction time

• the interval between stimulus (signal) and time it takes to reaction

Question 2

reaction time tasks

Answer 2

Simple reaction time - speed of cognitive processing (e.g. light stimulus and simple response) ~250 ms

Choice reaction time - different types of stimulus for separate responses (e.g. red light - index, blue light - middle finger, yellow light - ring finger) ~550-600 ms

Discriminant RT - inhibitory control → response suppression (e.g. red light - index, blue and yellow light - no response)

dependent variable - accuracy

Question 3

fractionating reaction time

Answer 3

EMG with electrode

• premotor and motor time then movement begins
• premotor time → processing information in cerebral cortex
• electromechanical delay in the muscle

Question 4

movement and total response time

Answer 4

1. movement time

• the interval between the initation of a response (end of motor RT) to the completion of a movement

2. total response time

• RT + MT

Question 5

reaction time to ‘real world’ event

Answer 5

International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) deems a false start when the athlete moves in less than 100 ms after stater’s gun