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Related Experiment Videos

Variable criterion analysis of brightness effects in simple reaction time.

G R Grice, R Nullmeyer, J M Schnizlein

    Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
    |May 1, 1979
    PubMed
    Summary

    This study on simple reaction time (SRT) found stimulus intensity significantly affects responses, but unlike auditory stimuli, visual intensity did not interact with experimental design. This challenges theories linking reaction time to Poisson processes.

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    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Psychology
    • Psychophysics
    • Human Factors

    Background:

    • Simple reaction time (SRT) is a fundamental measure in cognitive psychology.
    • Stimulus intensity is a known factor influencing reaction time.
    • Previous research with auditory stimuli indicated an interaction between stimulus intensity and experimental design type (between- vs. within-subjects).

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the effect of visual stimulus intensity on simple reaction time (SRT) using both between-subjects and within-subjects designs.
    • To examine potential interactions between stimulus intensity and experimental design type in visual SRT.
    • To evaluate theoretical models of reaction time, including variable criterion theory and impulse rate theories.

    Main Methods:

    • Participants completed SRT tasks with varying light stimulus intensities.

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  • Experimental designs included both between-subjects (different participants for each intensity) and within-subjects (same participants for all intensities) conditions.
  • Analysis focused on reaction time (RT) measures, criterion parameters from variable criterion theory, and correlations between RT and theoretical parameters.

    • Main Results:

    • A significant effect of stimulus intensity on reaction time was observed in both experimental designs.
    • No significant interaction was found between visual stimulus intensity and the type of experimental design.
    • Criterion variability was greater in the between-subjects condition, but theoretical functions showed parallel growth of sensory strength.
    • Absence of a correlation between intensity and RT variability contradicted predictions from Poisson process theories.

    Conclusions:

    • Visual stimulus intensity impacts SRT, but this effect does not interact with experimental design, unlike findings with auditory stimuli.
    • The results support models where sensory strength grows in parallel across intensities, explaining the rarity of intensity-by-criterion interactions in visual SRT.
    • The findings provide evidence against reaction time theories based on impulse rate as a Poisson process.