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Biomedical subjects

R Gottsdanker

Publications and source records attributed to R Gottsdanker.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Generalizations and extensions of the precue-utilization effect in rapid reactions.

The method of brief PSIs (precue-to-stimulus intervals) was used in three RT (reaction-time) experiments to explore the generality of the precue-utilization effect in rapid reactions, and to examine two extensions. This effect, which shows the self-contained performance in the choice reaction of the processing operations that culminate in response selection, generalized to a quantitative discrimination and to unequal stimulus-response (SR) frequencies. In the first extension, the reduction in wrong-alternative errors at relatively long PSIs indicated that these errors occur in conjunction with commitment to response actualization. In the second extension, the duration of discrimination-selection was found to be no longer for the less frequent of two SR alternatives. Taken together, these findings indicate that the effect of relative SR frequency, on incidence of errors as well as length of RT, fell on response-actualization processing. This is in accord with a number of previous findings and consonant with effects of RT variables on movement parameters but contrary to cumulative speed-accuracy models.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Verification of Donders' subtraction method.

In an experiment on 6 young adults advance (precued) information of the correct choice response was utilized completely: (a) For precue-to-stimulus intervals (PSIs) clearly shorter than the difference between mean choice and simple reaction time (RT), median response latency (L) measured from precue onset was invariant; (b) For clearly longer PSIs, median RT was very near the value for simple RT. This precue-utilization effect would be expected if response actualization had been delayed until the response had been selected and if the requirement for discrimination and selection had no adverse effect on readiness to respond. Donders' (1868/1969) hypothesis in his initial application of the subtraction method, that choice and simple reactions are identical except for the serial insertion of discrimination and selection operations in the former, is thereby strongly supported. If this formulation is accepted, models that hold that response processing can overlap other processing stages may be considered valid only for response selection, not response actualization.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Effort of preparation and age.

In an experiment on 24 men and women who were selected for short simple RT (reaction time) and who ranged from 22 to 86 yr. of age, choice RT increased monotonically over 3.5 sec. of waiting time during which there was high momentary probability of stimulus occurrence. As use of a choice reaction minimized the possibility of a response set, the occurrence of a waiting decrement was regarded as support for Näätänen's 1971 proposal of short-term mental exhaustion, which was derived from a similar study but for simple RT. The effect of age on endurance was not clear. There appeared to be no greater waiting decrement with age up to about 65 yr., but the possibility of greater decrements beyond that age cannot be discounted. The existence of short-term exhaustion is consonant with Kahneman's (1973) view that effort is required for the generation of processing capacity. Kahneman and other investigators of mental effort have unanimously rejected the existence of any appreciable effort during preparation. However, Näätänen's evidence for short-term exhaustion apparently had not been considered. It is here suggested that short-term exhaustion usually is not incurred in information processing tasks as they are characterized by alternations of high and low demands for capacity, unlike the present high constant momentary probability of signal occurrence. It is further conjectured that such intermittent operation evolved as the optimum way of utilizing underlying resources that are subject to depletion.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Age and simple reaction time.

Although simple reaction time (RT) to a tone showed a statistically significant increase between 18 and 93 years of age in a sample of 220 men and women, the amount of increase was slight, less than 2 msec/decade. Consequently, the appreciable slowing of more typical behavior with age does not seen attributable to some general process in the central nervous system as has been argued. This degree of stability found for simple RT with age, unexpected from the body of previous work, may reflect equivalence of age groups and use of optimal RT technique. In a second study eight old participants (73 to 84 years) matched on the optimal technique with eight young participants (18 to 24 years) were markedly slower with a long constant preparatory interval but not with elimination of timing cues. Together, the two studies show that simple high level of preparation was either easy of impossible to attain. Behavioral slowing with age can result from ineffective control processes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Aging and the maintaining of preparation.

In an experiment on 25 women and men who were selected for short RT (reaction time) and who ranged from 22 to 85 years of age, some loss of preparation was found over an interval of about 4 seconds during which there was constant momentary probability of signal occurrence. The central finding was that the amount of loss remained invariant with age. Numerous controls were used to ascertain that this stability was not an artifact. Support was given to the contention of Loveless and Sanford [14] that the markedly longer RTs found for older than for younger subjects when long, constant PIs (preparatory intervals) are employed is not attributable to difference in ability to maintain preparation. However, the reason for the foregoing effect remains in question. Loveless and Sanford [14] suggest that older subjects may not be able to control preparation in some more general sense and suggest that they do not use available timing information. However, similar findings on schizophrenics have been explained in terms of inhibitory effects with increased redundancy [1]. A method is suggested for eliminating the artifactual shortening of RT at the longest waiting period found in studies using the present method for measuring the maintaining of preparation.

Adult↗