Recognition reaction time
Recognition reaction time
280 ms–450 ms
Reaction — a decision, via the brain
Slower than simple reaction and faster than full choice reaction, because you have to identify the stimulus but only have one response available. The interesting measure in a go/no-go task is not the speed but the errors: the rate at which people respond to the no-go stimulus is a standard index of inhibitory control, and it rises sharply with fatigue and alcohol before the speed changes much at all.
The numbers
- Typical
- 340 ms
- Range
- 280 ms to 450 ms
- What it is
- Reaction — a decision, via the brain
- What is measured
- Respond to some stimuli and withhold on others — a go/no-go task.
Why this is a reaction
A reaction is a decision: signal in, processing, movement out. The floor for a human is around 150 milliseconds, and anything measured below about 100 ms is anticipation rather than response.
Where it sits against everything else
Reflexes at the top, reactions in the middle, design values off the end of the scale.
Vestibulo-ocular reflex — Reflex 10 ms
Knee-jerk (patellar) reflex — Reflex 22 ms
Latency added by your screen and mouse — Physical limit 35 ms
Blink reflex — Reflex 40 ms
Withdrawal reflex — Reflex 90 ms
Time a jab takes to land — Physical limit 110 ms
Sprint start reaction — Reaction 140 ms
Simple tactile reaction time — Reaction 155 ms
Simple auditory reaction time — Reaction 170 ms
Professional gamer reaction time — Reaction 190 ms
Formula One start reaction — Reaction 200 ms
Simple visual reaction time — Reaction 250 ms
How reaction time changes with age — Reaction 250 ms
What sleep loss does to reaction time — Reaction 300 ms
What alcohol does to reaction time — Reaction 320 ms
Recognition reaction time — Reaction 340 ms
Choice reaction time — Reaction 380 ms
Time to hit a 95 mph fastball — Physical limit 400 ms
Time a goalkeeper has on a penalty — Physical limit 450 ms
Time to play a 90 mph delivery — Physical limit 500 ms
Driver reaction to an expected event — Reaction 850 ms
The basic senses
| What | Typical | Range | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple tactile reaction time | 155 ms | 130 ms–190 ms | Reaction |
| Simple auditory reaction time | 170 ms | 140 ms–200 ms | Reaction |
| Simple visual reaction time | 250 ms | 200 ms–300 ms | Reaction |
| Choice reaction time | 380 ms | 300 ms–500 ms | Reaction |
Common questions
- How long is recognition reaction time?
- Typically 340 ms, with a real range of 280 ms to 450 ms. Respond to some stimuli and withhold on others — a go/no-go task.
- Is that a reflex or a reaction?
- Reaction — a decision, via the brain. A reaction is a decision: signal in, processing, movement out. The floor for a human is around 150 milliseconds, and anything measured below about 100 ms is anticipation rather than response.
Related pages
- Simple tactile reaction time 155 ms
- Simple auditory reaction time 170 ms
- Simple visual reaction time 250 ms
- Choice reaction time 380 ms
- A reflex is not a reaction Why one is 20 ms and the other 250
- Stopping distance at every speed Reaction distance plus braking distance, computed
- Measure your own reaction time Five attempts, median reported
Sources
- Response Times: Their Role in Inferring Elementary Mental Organization — R. Duncan Luce, Oxford University Press, 1986