Measuring Reaction Time Flashcards
All 6 cards in this deck
What are the steps of the ruler drop test for measuring reaction time?
e.g. a ruler is dropped between a partner's open fingers
- Hold the ruler vertically with the zero mark between your partner's open thumb and finger.
- Release it without warning; your partner catches it as quickly as possible.
- Read the distance fallen and convert it to a time; repeat and take a mean.
What is a typical human reaction time?
About 0.2–0.9 s.
Describe a computer-based method of measuring reaction time.
The person clicks a mouse or presses a key as soon as an image or sound is produced, and the computer times the delay between stimulus and response.
True or false? In the ruler drop test, a greater distance fallen means a shorter reaction time.
False. A greater distance fallen means a longer reaction time.
How does a driver's reaction time on a real road compare with a reaction time measured in a lab test such as the ruler drop?
It is usually longer, typically up to about 1 s for an alert driver, and longer still if the driver is tired or distracted.
In the ruler drop test, why can the distance the ruler falls be turned into a reaction time?
The ruler falls from rest with a constant acceleration (g, about 10 m/s²), so each distance fallen matches one particular time.