The use of the simplest chronoscope (a falling meterstick) to measure visual reaction time (RT) in college students of both sexes is described. Tests of three hypotheses showed that (1) mean simple RT was significantly faster than long-standing population approximations and (2) a single-factor, repeated-measures, sequential-treatment analysis of variance design replicated Donders' long-standing findings that simple RT was significantly faster than choice RT; simple RT was significantly faster than discriminative RT; and that discriminative RT was significantly faster than choice RT. Also, (3) eta-squared effect size (eta2) computed on significant interindividual subject differences accounted for more variability than the eta2 effect size computed on significant differences between treatments. It was concluded that (1) the simplest chronoscope's methodology may have contributed to the significantly faster mean simple RT; (2) interindividual differences in RT should no longer be routinely ignored or eliminated; and (3) a repeated-measures analysis of variance design which tests for both group and interindividual differences can yield reaction time results of interest to both experimental and differential psychology.
Visual simple reaction time (SRT) scores measured in 31 college students of both sexes by use of the simplest chronoscope methodology (meterstick SRT) were compared to scores obtained by use of an electromechanical multi-choice reaction timer (machine SRT). Four hypotheses were tested. Results indicated that the previous mean value of meterstick SRT was replicated; meterstick SRT was significantly faster than long-standing population estimates of mean SRT; and machine SRT was significantly slower than the same long-standing mean SRT estimates for the population. Also, the mean meterstick SRT of 181 msec. was significantly faster than the mean machine SRT of 294 msec. It was theorized that differential visual information processing occurred such that the dorsal visual stream subserved meterstick SRT; whereas the ventral visual stream subserved machine SRT.
The three classical Donders' reaction time (RT) tasks (simple, choice, and discriminative RTs) were employed to compare reaction time scores from college students obtained by use of Montare's simplest chronoscope (meterstick) methodology to scores obtained by use of a digital-readout multi-choice reaction timer (machine). Five hypotheses were tested. Simple RT, choice RT, and discriminative RT were faster when obtained by meterstick than by machine. The meterstick method showed higher reliability than the machine method and was less variable. The meterstick method of the simplest chronoscope may help to alleviate the longstanding problems of low reliability and high variability of reaction time performances; while at the same time producing faster performance on Donders' simple, choice and discriminative RT tasks than the machine method.
College students of both sexes served as their own controls to test four hypotheses in each of three experiments designed to assess effects of knowledge of results (KR) as verbal information correct to the nearest .01 sec. on time estimations. Analysis indicated that (1) KR significantly increased the mean accuracy of time estimations obtained by the methods of production and estimation but not by the method of reproduction, (2) that KR significantly decreased the variance of the time estimations in all three experiments, (3) that in all three experiments after KR underestimators significantly increased their mean time estimates whereas overestimators significantly decreased their mean time estimations, and (4) that no significant sex differences were present. Notions of excitation and inhibition as intervening variables and of the Pavlovian first- and second-signalling systems were employed in tentative explanations.
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