Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 3, 2026
09:43
The 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task: A Task of Attention and Impulse Control for Rodents
Published on: August 10, 2014
47.1K
Hick's law for choice reaction time: A review
Robert W Proctor1, Darryl W Schneider1
1Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|April 25, 2017
Summary
Hick's law, established in 1952, links reaction time to task uncertainty. This foundational principle in cognitive psychology remains vital for understanding human-computer interaction and interface design today.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Experimental Psychology
Background:
- Review of the historical context and seminal 1952 article "On the rate of gain of information" by W. E. Hick.
- Exploration of its foundational role in the cognitive revolution and establishment of a key psychological law.
Observation:
- Hick's law quantifies the relationship between choice reaction time and the number of stimulus-response alternatives (information uncertainty).
- The original study involved experiments and theoretical analyses to establish this fundamental relationship.
Findings:
- The article details challenges and shortcomings of Hick's law, including factors like stimulus-response compatibility, practice effects, large set sizes, and sequential dependencies.
- Contemporary modeling developments extending Hick's law are also discussed in detail.
Implications:
- Hick's law continues to drive research and is considered a fundamental principle in human-computer interaction (HCI) and interface design.
- Its enduring relevance is highlighted by its application to modern technologies unforeseen at the time of its inception.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:42Half-life of a Reaction
39.9K
The half-life of a reaction (t1/2) is the time required for one-half of a given amount of reactant to be consumed. In each succeeding half-life, half of the remaining concentration of the reactant is consumed. For example, during the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, during the first half-life (from 0.00 hours to 6.00 hours), the concentration of H2O2 decreases from 1.000 M to 0.500 M. During the second half-life (from 6.00 hours to 12.00 hours), the concentration decreases from 0.500 M to...
39.9K
02:39The Integrated Rate Law: The Dependence of Concentration on Time
46.4K
While the differential rate law relates the rate and concentrations of reactants, a second form of rate law called the integrated rate law relates concentrations of reactants and time. Integrated rate laws can be used to determine the amount of reactant or product present after a period of time or to estimate the time required for a reaction to proceed to a certain extent. For example, an integrated rate law helps determine the length of time a radioactive material must be stored for its...
46.4K
02:53Reaction Rate
69.3K
The rate of reaction is the change in the amount of a reactant or product per unit time. Reaction rates are therefore determined by measuring the time dependence of some property that can be related to reactant or product amounts. Rates of reactions that consume or produce gaseous substances, for example, are conveniently determined by measuring changes in volume or pressure.
The mathematical representation of the change in the concentration of reactants and products, over time, is the rate...
The mathematical representation of the change in the concentration of reactants and products, over time, is the rate...
69.3K
03:08Rate-Determining Steps
37.9K
Relating Reaction Mechanisms
In a multistep reaction mechanism, one of the elementary steps progresses significantly slower than the others. This slowest step is called the rate-limiting step (or rate-determining step). A reaction cannot proceed faster than its slowest step, and hence, the rate-determining step limits the overall reaction rate.
The concept of rate-determining step can be understood from the analogy of a 4-lane freeway with a short-stretch of traffic-bottleneck caused due to...
In a multistep reaction mechanism, one of the elementary steps progresses significantly slower than the others. This slowest step is called the rate-limiting step (or rate-determining step). A reaction cannot proceed faster than its slowest step, and hence, the rate-determining step limits the overall reaction rate.
The concept of rate-determining step can be understood from the analogy of a 4-lane freeway with a short-stretch of traffic-bottleneck caused due to...
37.9K
01:29Reaction Mechanisms: Rate-limiting Step Approximation
15
The rate-determining step, or RDS, in a chemical reaction is the slowest step that determines the overall reaction rate. It is identified by using the observed rate law and typically involves approximation methods like the RDS approximation or the steady-state approximation.In the RDS approximation, also known as the rate-limiting-step or equilibrium approximation, the reaction mechanism consists of one or more reversible reactions near equilibrium, followed by a slower RDS, and then one or...
15
02:53Determining Order of Reaction
63.2K
Rate laws describe the relationship between the rate of a chemical reaction and the concentration of its reactants. In a rate law, the rate constant k and the reaction orders are determined experimentally by observing how the rate of reaction changes as the concentrations of the reactants are changed. A common experimental approach to the determination of rate laws is the method of initial rates. This method involves measuring reaction rates for multiple experimental trials carried out using...
63.2K