AS Level Sport and Physical Education

Reaction / Response Times

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 Contents
3 REACTION TIME
MOVEMENT / RESPONSE TIME

4 REACTION TIME
SIMPLE / CHOICE REACTION TIME / HICK’S
LAW

PSYCHOLOGICAL REFRACTORY PERIOD

FACTORS AFFECTING REACTION TIME

AGE / GENDER / AROUSAL / ANTICIPATION

THE ROLE OF ANTICIPATION

IMPROVING RESPONSE TIMES

CUES / DECISION MAKING / ATTENTIONAL
FOCUS

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 REACTION TIME
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
In the
it. sprint start, reaction time is the time from the gun
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 REACTION TIME
There are two other components connected with
performing 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 f irst 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
m10o62/v1/e6 ment time. For example, it is the time from the gun going .4
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 SIMPLE CHOICE REACTION TIME
REACTION TIME

TURN OVER CARDS SORT BY COLOUR SORT BY ODD/EVEN SORT BY SUIT SORT BY SUIT
NUMBERS & (NUMBERS ONLY)
Lay the cards on the desk Lay the cards on the PICTURES Repeat the task of AND PICTURES
face down, the first task desk face down turning over the
is to turn all the cards again and this time Again cards face cards but now they Final task is to sort
over one at a time as you have to make a down you now need must be sorted into the cads into five
quickly as possible to choice – the cards to sort into odd four suites – clubs, piles – the four
make one pile with the must be sorted into number, even diamonds, hearts & suits (numbers
cards now face up – in two piles, one or red numbers and picture spades. only) and picture
any order! suites and one of cards. (FOUR CHOICES) cards
(ONE CHOICE) black (THREE CHOICES) (FIVE CHOICES)
(TWO CHOICES)

TIME TAKEN Min/Secs

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 REACTION TIME
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

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 PSYCHOLOGICAL
REFRACTORY
PSYCHOLOGICAL REFRACTORY PERIOD (PRP)
PERIOD
• 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 Rugby
EXAMPLE
• 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
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FACTORS WHICH AFFECT
REACTION TIME

There are several factors that affect reaction time:

WHAT ARE THESE?

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 FACTORS AFFECTING
REACTION
FACTORS TIME
AFFECTING REACTION TIM E
• 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
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• ANTICIPATION of an opponents play by identifying favourite strokes or positions,
 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 the

reaction time becomes, if enough practice is done the response
becomes 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
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)

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