Reaction Time Experiment Psychology - BA first year psychology practical Lucknow University - EduCatn

Department of Psychology

University of Lucknow

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REACTION TIME

Introduction: one paragraph about the concept of reaction time.

Name of the experiment: Reaction Time

Purpose: To measure the Simple Reaction Time of the subject for light stimulus under natural, sensorial and muscular conditions.

Hypotheses:

The Reaction Time will be less in the muscular conditions in comparison to natural and sensorial conditions.

The Reaction Time will be less in the sensorial conditions in comparison to natural condition.

Variables:

Independent Variable – natural, sensorial and muscular conditions (manipulated through instructions)

Dependent Variable – Reaction Time

The material used: Vernier Chronoscope, paper, pencil

Subject’s details: Name, Age (range from 18 to 22), Sex, Educational Qualification

                                                             METHOD 

Preliminary set-up: The pendulums were adjusted to 77 swings per minute for the subject’s pendulum and 75 swings per minute for the experimenter’s pendulum with the help of the stopwatch. 

Procedure: The subject was called and seated comfortably. A rapport was established during which her/his details were sought. The experiment was done in three conditions namely natural, sensorial and muscular. The different conditions were induced through instructions. In the natural condition, the subject was instructed as follows-

“I will give you a ready signal. Thereafter you will see a light on the board. Press the key when you see the light.”

The responses of the subject were noted in terms of the number of oscillations of the subject’s pendulum till it started oscillating with the experimenter’s pendulum. In this way 20 trials were taken. Thereafter trials for the sensorial condition were taken. The subject was instructed as follows for the sensorial condition-

“I will give you a ready signal. Thereafter you will see a light on the board. Focus your total attention on the light and as soon as you see the light, press the key.”

The procedure was same as for the natural condition. The sensorial condition was followed by the muscular condition in which the subject was instructed as follows-

“I will give you a ready signal. Thereafter you will see a light on the board. Put your finger on the key and as soon as you see the light, press the key.”Again the same procedure was followed for taking 20 trials in this condition. 

Precautions:

The following were taken care of-

• The arrangement of swings as done by the experimenter was not shown to the subject. 
• The counting of the swings was done carefully.

RESULTS: 

Data Analysis – t testing between the conditions:

Natural and sensorial

Sensorial and muscular

Muscular and natural 

A table has to be made in the end showing values of means and t test between the three conditions.

Table 3: Obtained means and t values for RT in three conditions

Points to Ponder:

The concept and level of measurement in Reaction Time

Historical Background in brief

Types of Reaction Time- Simple, Complex (disjunctive or choice) and Associative.

Types of chronoscopes- Hipp, Vernier, Dunlap and Springfield Timer 

Factors affecting Reaction Time- Stimulus factors (Nature, Intensity and Duration) and Organismic Factors (Preparatory Set- Fore period, Main period and After period, Practice, Attitude, and Motivation)    

Errors- Terminal and Running 

Applications of Reaction Time

REFERENCES:

Woodworth R.S. and Schlosberg H. (1971). Experimental Psychology. Third edition.