Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Measuring reaction time based on your political affiliation

Publication Date

Fall 11-11-2024

College

Sciences and Mathematics, College of

Department

Psychological Science, Department of

SURS Faculty Advisor

Michael Oliver

Presentation Type

Metadata Only

Abstract

The decisions we make on a daily basis consist of various implicit mechanisms, one of them being reaction time. The relationship between both factors is crucial because they reflect a person’s mental efficiency and the success of our cognitive processes. Reaction time refers to how rapidly one responds to a stimulus, especially under conditions that require quick assessments. Tasks that are performed accurately under faster reaction times indicate stronger cognitive abilities, which are paramount under higher-stress environments. However, quicker responses can compromise the accuracy of a decision, leading to potential mistakes. Scientists and researchers have tested this under different task conditions, simple and choice reaction times. Franciscus Donders conducted two experiments; in simple reaction time, participants make one decision by quickly pressing a button after seeing a light stimulus. Under choice reaction time, individuals rapidly make a decision between two choices by pressing one button if a stimulus is on the left side or a different button if the stimulus is on the right side. Thus, researchers were able to calculate the time it takes to make a decision, where simple reaction time is subtracted from choice reaction time. They found that it takes us about 1/10th of a second to make a decision, but this can be affected by age, sleep, and cognitive impairments (Ulrich et al., 1999). As a result, behavior must be understood to comprehend mental processes individuals make. In order to understand how reaction time influences the decisions we make, we designed a social-political experiment where 40 college students decide where they stand on various social issues in the U.S. Prior to making a choice, they are asked which political party they identify under. We hypothesize that participants that align with a political party will have faster reaction times on all issues, and those who identify as neutral will have more delayed reaction times. This allows us to further our understanding between behavior and mental mechanisms.

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