For a reflex, reaction time is the time from the onset of a stimulus until the organism responds.
Types
- Simple reaction time is the latency between a fixed stimulus and a fixed response.
- Complex reaction time is the latency between a variable stimulus and a respectively variable response.
Factors
The major factors affecting reaction time are:
- Recognition;
- Choice;
- Number of stimuli;
- Type of stimulus;
- Stimulus intensity;
There are many other factors that can also affect reaction time:
- Gender
- Practice and error
- Fatigue
- Distraction
- Vision
- Age