![Factors that affect Reaction Time AGE : reaction time gets quicker until approx. age 20, then reactions get slower as you get older GENDER : males generally have faster reaction times LIMB USED : the further information has to travel in the nervous system the slower the reactions. ie. The reaction of feet is slower than hands ALERTNESS/ AROUSAL/ MOTIVATION : levels of these affect reaction time. Optimum levels are needed to react quickly BODY TEMPERATURE : when cold reactions are slower. Performing a ‘warm up’ prepares athletes to react quickly SENSORY SYSTEM RECEIVING THE STIMULUS : reaction time varies depending on the sense being used PERSONALITY: Extroverts tend to have quicker reaction times than introverts There are also external factors which affect reaction time: A WARNING : reactions are quicker when expecting a stimulus eg. In the sprint start knows that after hearing the word ‘set’ the gun will go off STIMULUS INTENSITY : loud sounds or bright colours stimulate quicker reactions eg. Use of a starting pistol or a brightly coloured ball in beach volleyball LIKELIHOOD : if there is a good chance of the stimulus occurring reactions will be quicker than to a stimulus that rarely occurs (Stimulus – Response compatibility) [badminton player always does a low serve, so you will be able to react to it quicker, because you expect it]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/pesharecouk-shared-resource2730/85/PEShare-co-uk-Shared-Resource-11-320.jpg)
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- 1. Acquiring Movement Skills Reaction Time
- 2. Learning Objectives Definitions relating to Reaction Time Describe the impact of reaction time on performance Explain factors affecting response time in practical activities Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the theories relating to reaction time: Psychological refractory period Single channel hypothesis Choice reaction time (Hick’s Law) Anticipation
- 3. Reaction Time Reaction time is the speed at which we are able to process information and make decisions. Being able to respond quickly is important to success in many sporting situations The process can be explained simply in the following model: input Decision making output
- 4. Reaction Time Reaction time is made up of 4 parts: 1) A stimulus activates a particular sensory system 2) The stimulus travels from the sensory system to the brain 3) The brain (central mechanism) processes the stimulus and decides on a course of action 4) The appropriate command is sent from the brain (central mechanism) to the relevant muscles (effectors) to carry out the action
- 5. Reaction Time Reaction Time is defined as the time between the onset of a stimulus and the start of the movement in response to it. E.G. In a sprint start – reaction time is the time taken from the gun going off to the sprinter putting pressure on the blocks. (remember Reaction Time is an Ability)
- 7. Although we often talk about someone having fast reactions when movements are performed quickly there are three possible components : REACTION TIME (time between stimulus and the start of the movement) Also: MOVEMENT TIME (time taken from the start of the movement to completing the movement) E.G. Time taken when sprinter first presses down on the blocks to when the cross the finish line RESPONSE TIME (This is the time from the stimulus to the completion of the movement – so its actually Reaction Time + Movement Time) E.G. Time from the gun going off to the sprinter crossing the finish line.
- 8. REACTION TIME THE TIME BETWEEN THE ONSET OF THE STIMULUS AND THE START OF THE MOVEMENT IN RESPONSE TO IT Eg. The time between when a sprinter hears the starting gun and starts to move
- 9. MOVEMENT TIME THE TIME TAKEN FROM STARTING THE MOVEMENT TO COMPLETING IT Eg. The time from when a sprinter first presses on their blocks to when they cross the finish line
- 10. RESPONSE TIME THE TIME FROM THE ONSET OF A STIMULUS TO THE COMPLETION OF THE MOVEMENT Eg. The time from the sprinter hearing the stimulus of the gun to finishing the race RESPONSE TIME = REACTION TIME + MOVEMNET TIME
- 11. Factors that affect Reaction Time AGE : reaction time gets quicker until approx. age 20, then reactions get slower as you get older GENDER : males generally have faster reaction times LIMB USED : the further information has to travel in the nervous system the slower the reactions. ie. The reaction of feet is slower than hands ALERTNESS/ AROUSAL/ MOTIVATION : levels of these affect reaction time. Optimum levels are needed to react quickly BODY TEMPERATURE : when cold reactions are slower. Performing a ‘warm up’ prepares athletes to react quickly SENSORY SYSTEM RECEIVING THE STIMULUS : reaction time varies depending on the sense being used PERSONALITY: Extroverts tend to have quicker reaction times than introverts There are also external factors which affect reaction time: A WARNING : reactions are quicker when expecting a stimulus eg. In the sprint start knows that after hearing the word ‘set’ the gun will go off STIMULUS INTENSITY : loud sounds or bright colours stimulate quicker reactions eg. Use of a starting pistol or a brightly coloured ball in beach volleyball LIKELIHOOD : if there is a good chance of the stimulus occurring reactions will be quicker than to a stimulus that rarely occurs (Stimulus – Response compatibility) [badminton player always does a low serve, so you will be able to react to it quicker, because you expect it]
- 12. Simple Reaction Time If an athlete only has to respond to one stimulus this is termed ‘ simple reaction time’ Eg. At the start of a race a swimmer only listens for the sound of the starting gun. The only decision to be made is when to start to move
- 13. Single Channel Hypothesis However if you receive lots of stimuli, (choice reaction) this hypothesis states you can only deal with one stimulus at a time. This is sometimes called a ‘Bottleneck’
- 14. Choice Reaction Time In many sporting situations performers are faced with more than one stimulus and more than one possible response, This is ‘choice reaction time’ The more stimuli there are, the slower your choice reaction time is. Why? More info to process, more decision you need to make, so slower the time Eg. In badminton an athlete is faced with many stimuli – position of opponent, speed, direction, trajectory of the shuttlecock – and may have to choose between several possible shots in response
- 15. Task Stopwatch + Pack of cards 1) Turn the cards over one at a time to face up 2) Turn over and separate into red and black 3) Turn over and put into the correct suit 4) Turn over and put into 8 piles, face cards and number cards in the correct suit What happens after each task with time?
- 16. Hick’s Law Hick was someone that investigated choice reaction time He found that choice reaction time increases linearly as the number of stimulus/ choice alternatives increases Choice reaction time increases linearly as the number of stimuli increases This can be used to slow reactions from opponents – How? Eg. In football a defender will respond more slowly if several attackers are approaching the goal area than if there is only the one player with the ball
- 18. Using Hick’s Law Using this information to outwit an opponent: Short and Long serve preparation should be exactly the same (opponent has lots of options that may occur = slower reaction time) As a person that is receiving, by trying to pick up clues on where it is going to go, reducing the options there may be will make our reaction time lower
- 19. Improving Reaction Time PRACTICE – enables performers to improve cue recognition. With practice the response can become automatic MENTAL REHEARSAL –ensures attention to the correct cues and response to the correct stimuli. It activates the neuro-muscular system like physical training and affects arousal levels (good for complex skills with lots of stimuli) EXPERIENCE – enhances the performer’s awareness of the probability of particular stimuli occurring STIMULUS-RESPONSE COMPATIBILITY – the more natural or usual the response the quicker the reaction time. Coaches try to create a strong stimulus-response bond (S-R) CONCENTRATION/ SELECTIVE ATTENTION – focussing on only relevant information improves reaction time (Especially for simple reaction time) CUE DETECTION – analysing an opponent’s play enables an athlete to anticipate what they are going to do and react more quickly to the move PHYSICAL FITNESS – the fitter you are the quicker you will be AROUSAL/ MOTIVATION – optimum levels are needed to react quickly WARM UP –ensures physical and mental preparation ANTICIPATION – SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SPATIAL ANTICIPATION – predicting what will happen TEMPORA L –predicting when it will happen
- 20. Anticipation Very important strategy to reduce both types of reaction time: Spatial Anticipation: predicting what will happen, e.g. a batsman sees a different grip of the bowler and knows it is going to be a slower ball Temporal Anticipation: predicating when it will happen, e.g. a sprinter who ahs identified the period between the ‘set’ and the gun going off, will go as the gun goes off
- 21. Anticipation As a coach/teacher you can encourage performers to look for cue’s from opponents to help them predict behaviour Also encourage them to disguise actions to make opponents reaction time slower.
- 22. Psychological Refractory Period Anticipation has many benefits, but also some drawbacks. If we anticipate wrong or anticipate the wrong time, our response time will be dramatically slowed. By detecting a stimulus (which is wrong) this information must be processed, before the second (which may be right) one can be processed The extra reaction time is called the ‘psychological refractory period’ (PRP)
- 23. Psychological Refractory Period This is why it is so important o disguise out own actions (so they can’t guess ours) AND Try to deliberately make our opponents take a wrong decision e.g. sell a dummy, make them go one way and go the other We only have one channel to process information…
- 24. Psychological Refractory Period Anticipation can speed up reactions but if we anticipate incorrectly reaction times can be slowed down. If we detect a stimulus and are processing that information when a second stimulus occurs we are unable to process the second stimulus until we have finished processing the first one, making our reaction times longer This extra reaction time is known as the ‘ psychological refractory period ’ (PRP) Eg. By using a dummy in football or a feint dodge in netball we can make defenders move in one direction while we go the other Psychologists explain this by the ‘single-channel hypothesis’ – we have a single channel for processing information and can only process one piece of information at a time
- 25. PSYCHOLOGICAL REFRACTORY PERIOD STIMULUS ONE REACTION ONE STIMULUS TWO REACTION TWO PRP
- 27. Flashcards