Lab Exercise 2: The Hick-Hyman Law helps describe how reaction time affects a pe
ID: 1885335 • Letter: L
Question
Lab Exercise 2: The Hick-Hyman Law helps describe how reaction time affects a person's decision making ability. Recall our discussion of the Hick-Hyman Law during class. a. (available online at http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/reactiontime.html) c. Try another reaction time test (the Ruler Test) o Obtain a ruler and an assistant. o The ruler is held by the assistant between the outstretched index finger and thumb of the subject's dominant hand. The top of the subject's thumb is level with the zero cm line on the ruler. The assistant instructs the subject to catch the ruler as soon as possible after it has been released o The assistant is to record distance between the bottom of the ruler and the top of the subject's thumb where the ruler has been caught. o Using your background in physics identify an equation that will allow you to calculate the reaction time. o Carry this out for at least five iterations from each member of your group. Report the results and discuss the variability d. Think about how reaction time would impact at least three different examples within the context of the transportation system. Describe and discuss how the applications of reaction time would differ as well as the resulting impactsExplanation / Answer
a) Hick Hyman Law examine the relationship between number of stimuli present and the individual reaction time to given stimulus. As more stimuli to choose more reaction time is obtained. It was named after British and American psychologist team of William Edmunk Hick and Ray Hyman. Thus it simply relates that when more choices are present to user it results in more time in decision making.
Mathemetically, it is written as-
RT= a+ b log2(n)
where RT= reaction time
a,b are arbitrary constant
n= no. of stimuli.
b) Experiment performed the average reaction time obtained is 0.54 sec.
c) Experiment performed.
The physics equations used for calculating reaction time is
S= u*t + 0.5*a*t2
where S= distance at which ruler is caught.
u= initial velocity=0
a=acceleration= g=9.81m/s2
t= reaction time.
Result obtained
i) s=25 cm thus t=0.22sec
ii) s=22cm thus t=0.212 sec
iii) s=22cm thus t=0.212 sec
iv) s=20cm thus.t=0.2 sec
v) s=20cm thus t= 0.2 sec
As the no. of chances are increased reaction time decreases to certain extent as we remain more active by doing same job again and again thus this results in variability.
d) Impact of reaction time in transportation are as under:
i) reading street signs and warning: If the reaction time in this case is more it can result in omission of warnings provided for the driver which may result in harm.
ii) responding to emergency situations: emergency braking requires low reaction time to avoid accidents.
iii) respond to rear vehicles: vehicle driving is just not the front view driving, it requires all side concentration thus providing way to rear vehicles at right time is must.
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