Elsevier

Acta Psychologica

Volume 35, Issue 4, August 1971, Pages 316-327
Acta Psychologica

Non-aging fore-periods and simple reaction time

https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-6918(71)90040-0Get rights and content

Abstract

This study deals with the relationship between the momentary objective probability of the delivery of a stimulus and the reaction time in a simple reaction-time task. The hypothesis was that the reaction time is closely related to the objective probability via expectancy i.e., the momentary probability of the delivery of the stimulus as experienced by the subject. This problem was experimentally approached from two directions: (1) by varying the objective probability, in which case the reaction times should change inversely with the objective probability, and (2) by keeping the objective probability constant (by using the Bernoulli process), in which case the reaction times should not change. Eight male subjects were used. The first assumption proved to be correct, whereas the second held only when certain mean inter-stimulus intervals were used.

Finally, the status of the expectancy concept as an explanatory variable in the relationship between the fore-period and the reaction time was discussed, with emphasis on the need for some other explanatory concepts, which were proposed.

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    Supported by Valtion Humanistinen Toimikunta (The Finnish Research Council for the Humanities) and The Emil Aaltonen Foundation (Tampere, Finland).

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