Reaction time
Reaction Time
Reaction time (pronounced: ree-ak-shun tyme) is the interval of time between the presentation of a stimulus and the initiation of the muscular response to that stimulus. It is a measure of the speed at which an organism can respond to a particular stimulus.
Etymology
The term "reaction time" is derived from the English words "reaction", which comes from the late Latin reactio meaning "a reaction", and "time", which comes from the Old English tima meaning "limited space of time".
Definition
In psychology, reaction time is understood as the elapsed time between the onset of a sensory stimulus and the subsequent behavioral response. In neuroscience, it is considered as an important method to study the processing capabilities of the central nervous system and infer its performance.
Types of Reaction Time
There are three types of reaction times: simple reaction time, choice reaction time, and discriminative reaction time.
- Simple Reaction Time is the time taken between a stimulus and a simple response to that stimulus.
- Choice Reaction Time involves the time taken to respond to one of multiple stimuli.
- Discriminative Reaction Time is the time taken to respond when there are multiple stimuli present but only one stimulus requires a response.
Factors Affecting Reaction Time
Various factors can affect reaction time, including age, sex, physical fitness, fatigue, distraction, alcohol, personality type, and whether the stimulus is auditory or visual.
Related Terms
- Stimulus: A signal to which an organism responds.
- Response: A reaction to a specific stimulus.
- Sensory Processing: The way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses.
- Central Nervous System: The part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Reaction time
- Wikipedia's article - Reaction time
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