Reaction Time Flashcards

1️⃣ Familiarise yourself with the flashcards:

  • Look through all the flashcards to see what's on both sides.
  • Make sure you understand the information on each card. If something's unclear, click the link to the revision notes at the bottom of the page for more details.

2️⃣ Test yourself:

  • Look at the question or prompt on each card and try to remember the answer before flipping it over.
  • Check the answer and make a note of any cards you find challenging and need to go over more.

3️⃣ Consistently Review and Practice:

  • Use spaced repetition: spend more time on the cards you struggle with and go over them more often.
  • Regularly review all the flashcards to help you better understand and retain the information over time.

Note: We may include questions that have multiple correct answers. It's useful to remember specific examples to understand these concepts better.

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What is reaction time?

The time between a stimulus (like a sight or sound) and your response.

What is the unit used for reaction time?

Seconds (s). It is often shown in milliseconds (ms).

What is a typical human reaction time to a visual cue?

About 0.2 to 0.3 seconds.

In the ruler drop test, what is the stimulus and what is the response?

Stimulus: seeing the ruler start to fall. Response: closing your fingers to catch it.

In the ruler drop test, what do you measure to work out reaction time?

The distance the ruler falls before you catch it.

Why should the person being tested keep their fingers at the 0 cm mark before the drop?

To start from the same place each time and make it a fair test.

How can you estimate reaction time from the drop distance?

Use a distance-to-time conversion table based on gravity.

In a test of caffeine’s effect on reaction time, what are the independent and dependent variables?

Independent: caffeine (with or without). Dependent: reaction time.

Name two control variables for a ruler drop reaction time test.

Use the same person and start at the 0 cm mark each time.

How can you make reaction time results more reliable?

Repeat the test many times and calculate a mean.

Why might a computer reaction time test be more accurate than a ruler drop test?

It measures time directly in milliseconds and reduces reading errors.

Name two factors that can slow reaction time.

Alcohol and tiredness (fatigue).