Background Information
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Reaction time is how long it takes to respond and make a decision to a stimulus. Stimuli are received from the eyes, the ears and kinaesthetic sense. Choice reaction time can be improved by practice and training.
Before 1865, scientists thought that human mental processes were too fast to be measured. However, in 1865 Dutch physiologist F.C. Donders began to think about human reaction time and if it was measurable. In 1840, English scientist and inventor Charles Wheatstone invented a device that recorded the velocity of artillery shells. Using this device, Donders measured the time it took from when a shock occurred on a patient’s foot until when that patient pressed a button. If the shock was on the left foot, the patient used their left hand and vice versa. This study was tested under two conditions, the first having the patient aware of which foot was to be shocked in advance and the second having the patient unaware. A 1/15 second delay was discovered between patients who knew which foot and who did not know. This was the first account of the human mind being measured.
Franciscus Cornelis Donders (F.C. Donders)
For example, in the ruler drop test that measures reaction time, the ruler drops and the eyes register the light, which sends information to the occipital lobe. The occipital lobe then sends the visual information of the oncoming ball to the frontal lobe where it then decides that the incoming object must be caught. Decisions are made to catch the ruler. Motor cortex receives instructions from frontal love and sends motor control signals to the spinal cord. These signals travel through the spinal cord to the left and right arms, which begin to move to specific location to achieve the goal set forth by the frontal lobe; which was to catch the ruler. This is the work of many neurons as well as numerous systems and circuits in the brain that can be trained to enhance reaction time through practice.
Before 1865, scientists thought that human mental processes were too fast to be measured. However, in 1865 Dutch physiologist F.C. Donders began to think about human reaction time and if it was measurable. In 1840, English scientist and inventor Charles Wheatstone invented a device that recorded the velocity of artillery shells. Using this device, Donders measured the time it took from when a shock occurred on a patient’s foot until when that patient pressed a button. If the shock was on the left foot, the patient used their left hand and vice versa. This study was tested under two conditions, the first having the patient aware of which foot was to be shocked in advance and the second having the patient unaware. A 1/15 second delay was discovered between patients who knew which foot and who did not know. This was the first account of the human mind being measured.
Franciscus Cornelis Donders (F.C. Donders)
For example, in the ruler drop test that measures reaction time, the ruler drops and the eyes register the light, which sends information to the occipital lobe. The occipital lobe then sends the visual information of the oncoming ball to the frontal lobe where it then decides that the incoming object must be caught. Decisions are made to catch the ruler. Motor cortex receives instructions from frontal love and sends motor control signals to the spinal cord. These signals travel through the spinal cord to the left and right arms, which begin to move to specific location to achieve the goal set forth by the frontal lobe; which was to catch the ruler. This is the work of many neurons as well as numerous systems and circuits in the brain that can be trained to enhance reaction time through practice.