Related Experiment Videos
Measuring keyboard response delays by comparing keyboard and joystick inputs
1Center for Research, Training and Guidance in Educational Practice, Aichi University of Education, 1-Hirosawa, Igaya, Kariya, Aichi 448-8542, Japan. hshimizu@auecc.aichi-edu.ac.jp
Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers : a Journal of the Psychonomic Society, Inc
|July 12, 2002
Summary
Accurate PC keyboard response times are crucial for psychological experiments. This study introduces a novel method using a PC
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- PC keyboards are common response devices in psychological research.
- Existing methods for assessing keyboard response characteristics are often inconvenient and outdated.
- Rapid PC model changes necessitate updated and accessible assessment techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a convenient and accurate method for evaluating PC keyboard response characteristics.
- To address the limitations of external measurement equipment for keyboard analysis.
- To provide reliable data for researchers using PCs in experimental settings.
Main Methods:
- Enhancing PC clock precision to the microsecond level.
- Integrating a joystick with a MIDI terminal for an independent PC timing function.
- Employing statistical processing to determine keyboard scanning interval and average delay times.
Main Results:
- The developed method accurately estimates keyboard scanning interval and average delay times.
- Measured keyboard delay times ranged from 11 to 73 milliseconds across different models.
- The majority of tested keyboards exhibited delay times under 30 milliseconds.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method offers a precise and user-friendly approach to assessing PC keyboard performance.
- Understanding keyboard delay is vital for the validity of psychological experiment results.
- This technique supports researchers in selecting appropriate hardware for accurate data collection.