Investigating Reaction Time

Question 1

How can reaction time be measure using a computer?

Answer 1

1. Computer tests can be used to measure reaction time. For example, the person being tested has to click the mouse (or press a key) a soon as they see a stimulus on the screen, e.g. a box change colour.
2. Computers can give a more precise reaction time because they remove the possibility of human error from the measurement.
3. As the computer can record the reaction time in milliseconds, it can also give a more accurate measurement.
4. Using a computer can also remove the possibility that the person can predict when to respond - using the ruler test, the catcher may learn to anticipate the drop by reading the tester’s body language.