Receptor anticipation of mentally retarded and nonretarded adults

The effect of stimulus velocity and information feedback on the receptor anticipation (Poulton, 1957) performance of mentally retarded and nonretarded adults was investigated. Thirty trials were given in which subjects attempted to execute a preferred-hand button press response coincident with the lighting of the last of a series of runway lamps illuminating in a pattern of apparent linear motion. Although the receptor anticipation of nonretarded adults was found to be significantly superior to that of retarded subjects, both groups responded similarly to the velocity and feedback manipulations.