How does cognitive function measured by the reaction time and critical flicker fusion frequency correlate with the academic performance of students?

Abstract

Background The reaction time (RT) is “the time taken for the appearance of rapid voluntary reaction by an individual following a stimulus, either auditory or visual” and the Critical Flickering Fusion Frequency (CFFF) is “the rate at which successively presented light stimuli appear to be steady and continuous”. RT and CFFF are commonly used for the assessment of cognitive functions that are known to influence academic performance. However, data about the exact correlation between these are scarce, particularly in India. This research aimed to study the association between visual RT (VRT), auditory RT (ART) and CFFF and their impact on the academic performance of undergraduate students. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 700 students of Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at a private medical university in South India, during the period from 2015 to 2017. The VRT, ART and CFFF were evaluated, and the best out of three subsequent attempts was recorded. The mean score (in percentage) of the three best marks out of the five internal assessments for the course during each academic year was considered for analysis. The association between the different cognitive tests and the average academic performance was analysed. Results Female students had faster VRT (n = 345, mean = 243.97, SD = 83.87) than male students (n = 273, mean = 274.86, SD = 96.97) (p = 0.001). VRT and ART had a moderate negative correlation with academic performance (for ART, r = − 0.42, p < 0.001; for VRT; r = − 0.40, p < 0.001). CFFF had a very weak positive correlation with academic performance (r = 0.19, p = 0.01). The only independent predictors of academic performance were RT and gender (Adjusted R2 = 0.11). Conclusion Although there is a correlation between CFFF and cognitive function, our study showed only a weak correlation between CFFF and academic performance. Female students had faster RTs, and gender was an independent predictor of academic performance. Rather, students with faster RTs appear to have an advantage in academic performance.

Assessing Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency: Which Confounders? A Narrative Review

“…For example, cFFFs for extraverts were shown to be lower than introverts [62]. Additionally, cFFF differences in learning behaviour depended on the subject's level of sociability [63], while cFFF and academic performance had only a moderate correlation [64]. Interestingly, cFFF was found to be higher in adults who played computer or video games compared to those who did not.…”

Neuropsychological and Neurophysiological Mechanisms behind Flickering Light Stimulus Processing

“…Critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF or CFFF), as a frequency at which flickering light stops being visible and starts being perceived as a steady light, has been used in various fields of research and various groups or species. Research has focused on dementia [ 1 , 2 , 3 ], visual impairment [ 4 ], cognitive functioning [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ] and divers [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ], among other topics.…”

The Influence of Sleep Quality on the Body Composition, Selective Attention, and Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Healthy Individuals

“…Reaction time and number of errors were increased in poor sleeper group than in the good sleeper group; however, there was no significant difference between the groups. Commonly, reaction time is widely used to assess the cognitive functions that are known to influence academic performance [38], also to evaluate neuromuscular-physiological responses in sport athletes [39]. However, human body responds to various stimuli at different speeds [40], additionally, the factors including intensity and duration of the stimuli, age and gender of the subjects, and effect of practice can influence the reaction time of an individual [41].…”