AS Level Sport and Physical Education

Reaction / Response Times

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Contents3 - REACTION TIME

MOVEMENT / RESPONSE TIME

4 - REACTION TIMESIMPLE / CHOICE REACTION TIME / HICK’S LAW

5 - PSYCHOLOGICAL REFRACTORY PERIOD

6 - FACTORS AFFECTING REACTION TIMEAGE / GENDER / AROUSAL / ANTICIPATION

7 - THE ROLE OF ANTICIPATION

8 - IMPROVING RESPONSE TIMES CUES / DECISION MAKING / ATTENTIONAL

FOCUS

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REACTION TIME

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Reaction time is the speed at which we are able

to process information and make decisions. Being

able to respond quickly is very important in many

sports and often determines if we are successful.

Reaction time is defined as the time between the onset of

the stimulus and the start of the movement response to it.

In the sprint start, reaction time is the time from the gun

going off to the sprinter putting pressure on the starting

block.

CAN YOU GIVE ANOTHER SPORTING EXAMPLE OF REACTION TIME????

REACTION TIME

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There are two other components connected withperforming movements quickly:

1. MOVEMENT TIME

This is the time it takes from first starting the movement to

completing it. In the sprint start it is represented by the time

from the sprinter first pressing on their blocks to when they cross

the finish line

2. RESPONSE TIME

This is the time from the onset of the stimulus to the completion

of the movement. It is the total time, adding reaction time to

movement time. For example, it is the time from the gun going

off to the sprinter crossing the finishing line.

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SIMPLE REACTION TIME

CHOICE REACTION TIME

TURN OVER CARDS

Lay the cards on the desk face down, the first task is to turn all the cards over one at a time as quickly as possible to make one pile with the cards now face up – in any order!(ONE CHOICE)

SORT BY COLOUR

Lay the cards on the desk face down again and this time you have to make a choice – the cards must be sorted into two piles, one or red suites and one of black(TWO CHOICES)

SORT BY ODD/EVEN NUMBERS & PICTURES

Again cards face down you now need to sort into odd number, even numbers and picture cards.(THREE CHOICES)

SORT BY SUIT

Repeat the task of turning over the cards but now they must be sorted into four suites – clubs, diamonds, hearts & spades.(FOUR CHOICES)

SORT BY SUIT (NUMBERS ONLY) AND PICTURES

Final task is to sort the cads into five piles – the four suits (numbers only) and picture cards(FIVE CHOICES)

TIME TAKEN Min/Secs

REACTION TIME

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SIMPLE REACTION TIME• is relevant to a single stimulus and a single possible

response

CHOICE REACTION TIME• several stimuli are given but only one must be selected for response• The more choices a person has, the more information needs processing, and the longer it takes to process, a slower reaction time is recorded!

• this is Hick’s Law - see graph

PSYCHOLOGICAL REFRACTORY PERIOD

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PSYCHOLOGICAL REFRACTORY PERIOD (PRP)• presentation of a second stimulus• will slow down the processing of information• causing a time lag (this is the PRP) between the relevant

stimulus and an appropriate response• example : selling a dummy in

RugbyEXAMPLE• S1 (1st stimulus) would be the

dummy• S2 (2nd stimulus) would be the

definite move• if the dummy (S1) had been the

only stimulus then the reaction would have been at time R1

• in the meantime, S2 has happened, but the performer cannot begin his / her response to this until the full reaction R1 has been processed by the brain

• so there is therefore a period of time (the PRP) after S2 but before the time break to R2 can begin

• a person who can do a multiple dummy / shimmy (Mat Dawson / Jason Robinson) can leave opposition with no time to react and hence miss a tackle

FACTORS WHICH AFFECT REACTION TIME

There are several factors that affect reaction time:

WHAT ARE THESE?

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FACTORS AFFECTING REACTION TIME

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FACTORS AFFECTING REACTION TIME• AGE

– the older we get, the slower our reaction times• GENDER

– males have quicker reaction times than females– but reaction times reduce less with age for

females• increase in STIMULUS INTENSITY will improve

reaction time– a louder bang will initiate the go more quickly

than a less loud bang• TALL PEOPLE will have slower reactions than short people because of the

greater distance the information has to travel from the performer’s brain to the active muscles– short sprinters tend to win 60m races

• AROUSAL LEVELS affect reaction times which are best when the performer is alert but not over aroused

• SENSORY SYSTEM receiving the stimulus• factors like body language / position might give a cue which enables the

performer to ANTICIPATE a stimulus• ANTICIPATION of an opponents play by identifying favourite strokes or

positions, particularly if the play involves an attempted dummy or fake

REACTION TIME

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How can we improve response/reaction time

Discuss with the person next to you methods of how a coach could improve reaction time?

PRACTICE – The more often a stimulus is responded to the shorter thereaction time becomes, if enough practice is done the responsebecomes automatic

MENTAL REHEARSAL – Going over responses in your mind

CONCENTRATION – Ignoring irrelevant signals

EXPERIENCE – awareness of regular activity

ANTICIPATION – initiating movement (close to experience)

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THE ROLE OF ANTICIPATION

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ANTICIPATION• the ability to predict future events from early signals or past

events

• reaction time can be speeded up if the performer learns to anticipate certain actions, good performers start running motor programmes before the stimulus is fully recognised they anticipate the strength, speed and direction of a stimulus. This would enable a performer to partially eliminate the PRP (psychological refractory period)

however, opponents will also be trying to anticipate

• Opponents reaction times can be increased by increasing the number of choices of stimulus they have increasing the number of fakes or dummies (Dawson / Robinson)