PEBL Hub — IRB Fact Sheet — 2026-08-23
Simple Reaction Time
Category:Processing Speed
Duration:~6 minutes
Parameters:9 configurable parameters available
Version:0.2
Input:Keyboard, Mouse
Description
A simple reaction time task where a single stimulus (an 'X' or mouse button prompt) appears at a specifiable delay from the previous response. Measures basic alertness and motor response speed across multiple blocks with breaks.
Notes
- Research has found associations between simple RT performance and personality traits such as neuroticism
Key Parameters
| blocks | The number of trial blocks (default: 4) |
| blocklength | The number of trials per block (default: 50) |
| delayMin | Smallest delay (default: 250) |
| delayMax | longest delay (default: 2500) |
| delayStep | Step between small and longest (default: 250) |
| stimulus | Stimulus character (default: X) |
| toofastThresh | too fast time in ms (default: 150) |
| tooslowThresh | Too slow time in ms (default: 3000) |
| responsemode | Response input mode (default: spacebar) |
Example Data Output (3 sample rows)
| subNum | block | trial | time0 | delay | delay2 | rt | resp1 | resp2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P001 | 1 | 1 | 2973 | 1500 | 1500 | 402 | NO_RESPONSE | x |
| P001 | 1 | 2 | 4875 | 2500 | 2501 | 245 | NO_RESPONSE | x |
| P001 | 1 | 3 | 7622 | 2000 | 2001 | 231 | NO_RESPONSE | x |
References
Robinson, M. D., & Tamir, M. (2005). Neuroticism as mental noise: A relation between neuroticism and reaction time standard deviations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(1), 107-115.
Seashore, R. H., & Seashore, S. H. (1941). Individual differences in simple auditory reaction times of hands, feet, and jaws. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 29, 346-349.