A comparative study of choice reaction time in young males and females.

ABSTRACT

Background and objectives: The reaction time has been known as an important psychophysical method useful for relating mental events to physical measures. Also it has been utilized as an index of sensory, motor and cognitive processes since the inception of the study of behaviour as a laboratory science. So the present study was undertaken to observe and compare the responses of young males and females in predictable and unpredictable environmental setting by employing choice reaction time tasks with constant fore-period of 2 seconds and randomly occurring variable fore-periods of 0.6, 2, 4, 6 seconds. Methods: The choice reaction time tasks were performed for visual and auditory stimuli with constant and variable fore-periods using “Techno Digital Response Time” apparatus. The data were analyzed by Z test. P< 0.05 was considered significant. Results: It was observed that choice reaction times to visual as well as auditory stimuli were lesser in males than in females (p < 0.001) in both constant and variable fore-periods. It was also observed that auditory choice reaction time was shorter than visual choice reaction time. Conclusions: In conclusion, males have shorter reaction time than females. Males react faster than females to changes in the external environment and males are quicker in responding to the unpredictable situations. Choice reaction time (CRT) to auditory stimulus is shorter than that to visual stimulus in both males and females.