01:377:310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Franciscus Donders, Psychological Refractory Period
4 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
What does the motor control system do when we get ready to perform an action in a specific situation. Donders (1868) dutch physician, began the research that demonstrated the need for a minimum amount of time for the motor control system to prepare to perform nad intended action. How much time depends on many performance situation and performer characteristics. Task and situation characteristics influencing preparation: number of response choices, hick"s law, rt increases logarithmically as the number of stimulus- response choices, stimulus-response compatibility increases (fig. 8. 1: rt decreases as the spatial relationship between a stimulus and its response increases. Spatial arrangement of stimulus and their associated response mechanisms: stove top example- page 175, movement complexity, rt increases as amount of complexity of the action increases. First demonstrated by classic experiment by henry and rogers: movement accuracy, rt increases as movement accuracy demands of the action increase.
