Intersensory and Intrasensory Effects in Simple Reaction Time

Abstract

Reaction time was measured as a function of the interval between an irrelevant stimulus, and a reaction stimulus, for visual and auditory stimuli. Reaction time was inversely related to the length of the interval, when both stimuli were in the same sense mode, but remained relatively constant for stimuli differing in sense mode. Both the absolute and the percentage change in RT were greatest when both stimuli were visual; in the latter case, the changes in reaction time resulting from the variation of interval length were independent of the luminances of both the irrelevant and the reaction stimuli.