Response Time to the Second of Two Successive Signals as a Function of Absolute and Relative Duration of Intersignal Interval

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine whether both the absolute and the relative duration of the S₁-S₂ interval would affect the response time to the second of two successive signals (RT₂) separated by an interval of brief but variable duration. Four different experimental conditions sampled different but overlapping ranges of intervals, thus allowing comparisons between RTs obtained with intervals of the same absolute but different relative durations, and conversely, with the same relative but different absolute durations. Under these conditions, RT₂ varied inversely with both the absolute and the relative duration of interval over the range of intervals generally associated with psychological refractory period.