Influence of Hospitalization on Simple Reaction Time

Abstract

Twelve hospitalized adult male patients' simple reaction time (RT), termination of a visual stimulus, was compared with that of 12 nonhospitalized adult males. Times between stimulus presentations (intertrial interval) were 3, 9, and 15 sec. A counterbalanced order of interval presentation was used. The data showed that both groups responded similarly at the 3- and 15-sec. intertrial intervals, but there was a significant difference between groups at the 9-sec. intertrial interval. The results are discussed in terms of appropriate control groups in psychomotor studies and the differential effect of the intertrial intervals used on the RT of the two groups studied.