Relationship of Reaction Time to Intelligence Quotient and Intelligence - Coursework Example

Relationship of Reaction Time to Intelligence Quotient and Intelligence al Affiliation The human intelligent quotient is believed to have risen over the past one hundred years. However, some psychologists believe that this is indirectly proportional to intelligence. Their assertion is that over the past century, the intelligence has reduced. This reduction of intelligence is believed to have been caused by the intelligent quotient. This same assertion implies that the decline of the intelligence is evidence that simple reaction time (RT) has reduced consequently in the past one hundred years. This line of thought presumes that the reaction time is an ideal measure of one’s intelligence. This is in contrary to other psychologists like Ted Nettelbeck who strongly challenge the above assertion and presumptions regarding intelligent quotient, intelligence and the reaction time. Hypothesis 1 Nettelbeck (2003) believes that increased intelligent quotient has indeed risen in the past years and could be responsible for reduced intelligence, it is impossible to test this fact. This is due to the fact that the test for intelligence being dependent on the intelligent quotient is absent. They proclaim that simple RT reduction may have been instigated by procedural differences. Studies conducted on the Reaction Time (RT) have found the existing correlation between the reaction time and the intelligent quotient. According to these studies, the correlation appears or is indeed stronger for tasks that are considered to be more complex (Burns & Nettelbeck, 2003). The study thus seeks to discredit the assumptions made by Woodley. Very little doubt exist that intelligence researchers have always been enamored with the task of having to measure the speed of information processing that is basic, measured by the Reaction Time and the Inspection Time paradigms. Researchers have been able to establish the existing relationship between inspection time and the psychometric g that exists in a range of 30 to 50 (Burns & Nettelbeck, 2005). In spite of this rift of interest, there has not been a clue for the measurement of the reaction time and the inspection time and the implications that the above measures pose for intelligence of one and its application. If the initial speeded psychometric measures are linked together with those of the reaction time (RT) and the inspection time (IT), relative robust and isolated reaction time and the movement time (MT) factors also emerge. Te dichotomy of RT-MT depicts the two existing faces of the reaction time when measured by a variety of elementary cognitive tasks (ECT). Given the findings of isolated Reaction Time and Movement Time components that are found in different RT paradigms, and the distinct higher order Reaction time and Movement Time factors that encompass the factors of the lower order reaction time in empirical studies, a design that is logical and operational, was made so that it help classify reaction time and movement time factors to be the intermediate factors that occur between the broad and the narrow ability stratum (Woodley, Nijenhuis, & Murphy, 2013). Sets of findings that merit future research are the exacts reported significant correlation of DT and the broad memory (Gy) and reasoning (Gf), audition, psychomotor performance and the natural tempo. In a study that was precisely designated to evaluate the exact role of inspection time in the structural intelligence model by scholars Burn and Nettelbeck (2003), they conducted a Carroll type of exploratory factors to help them analysze the chronometric inspection time measures and together with selected tests for Gsm, Gv and Gs and also Gf that comes from the WJ-R and WAIS-R. These analyses were succeeded by confirmatory factory methods. The results found out that inspection time if loaded on the psychometric broadens the GS factor of processing. Inspection time failed to load on any existing first-order in the CHC factors (Drewes, & VanRullen, 2011). The two therefore concluded that inspection time in a way has the same processes like the ones that are able to contribute to the performance on the tests of the clerical speeds. Reaction time pioneer showed that a simple reaction is always shorter than the known reaction time. The choice reaction time is however the longest of them all. Simple reactions time are believed to be at about 220 msec, however the recognition time ranges in the scopes of 384 msec. This therefore implies that complex stimulus like symbol recognition evokes a relatively slower reaction time (Tamnes et al, 2012). The time for motor preparation plus motor response is always the same in the three different types of reaction time test. This implies that the differences that occur in reaction time are caused by the processing time. It is therefore important to look at the factors that affect the reaction time. Arousal is considered as one of the most investigated factor that influence the reaction time. Reaction time is dimmed faster when there is an intermediate arousal level and likely deteriorates when the given subject is too relaxed or tensed. Age also affects the reaction time. Teenagers have a mean reaction time of 187msec for light stimulus and 158msec for sound related stimulus. Reaction time is shorter from infancy up to the late twenties factors (Drewes, & VanRullen, 2011). It then increases when one is approaching fifty and then increasingly lengthens up to 70s. Adolescents thus have a shorter RT than adults. In all most all the existing age groups, males tend to have faster reaction time than that of the females. The female shorter reaction time is not by any chance reduced by practice. Another factor is the Left vs. right hand. Both halves of the brains are specialized to take on various tasks. The left hemisphere is the verbal and the logical part of the brain while the right halve is meant to rule over creativity, face recognizing, emotions and even spatial relations. The right half is believed to control the left hand while the left controls the right hand factors (Drewes, & VanRullen, 2011). This therefore results to the variation in reaction times between the right handed and the left handed people in various tasks. Woodley’s assertion differs with the scope of intelligence. Intelligence is viewed as the capacity of one for logic, communication, learning, memory, problem solving and other factors. It is obviously studied in human beings. The psychometric approach has been used to adopt the human intelligence. Human intelligence is therefore seen as the intellectual ability of humans that is featured by perception, consciousness and self awareness. Humans are able to poses the cognitive abilities of learning, understanding, concept formation and reasoning (Tamnes et al, 2012). These abilities cannot be improved or increased with passing time or evolving time. Instead they are aspect that an individual through practice can develop within time. Scholars have looked at the factors that may influence the human intelligence and reason. Apparently, time is not a factor. Hypothesis 2 The above factors are responsible for the difference in reaction times exhibited in human beings. Reduction of the Reaction time as a matter of fact is not caused by the number of increasing years as Woodley puts it. Instead, the more the ages the faster the reaction time in an individual. Therefore it is not right to say that the centuries we have passed through have reduced our intelligences. Intelligences are caused by differences in reaction times. These differences as seen are caused by a variety of factors like the age, the gender, arousal and the left vs. right hand. These are the unique factors that can results to reduced or increased intelligence in an individual. Reaction time alone is regarded as an inherent ability (Burns & Nettelbeck, 2003). However the overall response time is improvable by practice. Normally, coaches and even athletes ought to analyze the given skill and its requirement and then they can assert the exact place where the response gains can be effected in. this can be done by considering the following factors; There has to be a detection of the cue. For instance, in the start of a sprint, there is a complete focus on the voice of the starter and the sound of the gun. This has to be isolated from the noise that is in the background coming from the spectators. The cue also has to be separated from the negative thoughts that the athletes might have when such a situation prevails, the athlete has to improve the reaction time factors (Drewes, & VanRullen, 2011). Detecting relevant cues also require faster reaction time. Take for instance a football goalkeeper about to receive a penalty shot. The goal keeper relies on the fast reaction time to be able to analyze the direction of the shot and react to it immediately. Change in attention focus is also an element of anticipation and a situation that demands an improved speed of reaction. In invasion games, a player is expected to be in a position to switch from the concentration he or she has for the opponent to concentration that he or she is expected to have in the field of play. These two activities require coordination and varying speeds of reaction (Tamnes et al, 2012). Controlling anxiety also requires the aid of the reaction time. When conflicting information is introduced in the mind, the mind shifts the focus to the new irrelevant information. This consequently reduces the reaction time of the anxiety and the mind is able to reduce the amount of focus in it helping the victim control it (Tamnes et al, 2012).. Reaction time also aids in warm up. This is to ensure that the sense organs and the nervous system are at a position of being able to transmit information and the muscles are poised to react upon the transmitted information. Anticipation on the other hand is often used by people, mostly the athletes in reducing the time that they are to take in response to a stimulus. For example a tennis player that anticipates a given type of serve from the opponent will employ either spatial or event anticipation. The tennis player thus is in a position to detect, after having learnt, the unique cues that are in the serving sequence that can determine the potentiality of the serve (Tamnes et al, 2012). The player can therefore begin positioning his or herself for the landing ball earlier in a given sequence than the usual and this five the player more time to be able to play the ball at the time of its arrival. This can be dangerous when the player resort to anticipation but the advantages of anticipation to this player are great. Response to time therefore occurs in to two ways, anticipation that reduces the amount of time to respond and the reaction time (Deary, Liewald & Nissan, 2011). Generally the two aspects can be influenced by the following factors; gender and age. Reaction time is faster in most males than female. The same reaction time is slower in teenagers than in adults. Psychological state where a mind is preoccupied will guarantee a slower reaction time. When the time available for a task to be carried on is short, there is anxiety and therefore reaction time will automatically increase for the task to be completed in time (Eppig, Fincher & Thornhill, 2011). Health also influences the response time. A sick person responds slowly to activities as a result of the reduced reaction time imposed by the illness. In terms of personality we find extroverts reacting quickly to situations than the relatively slower introverts. State of alertness also directly influences response time factors (Drewes, & VanRullen, 2011). The level of experience in carrying out a given activity guarantees a difference in response time. One who is used to playing football in large crowds will be able to coordinate the ball properly than a player who has never played in a crowded stadium due to the different reaction times they have (Scotland, Whittle & Deary, 2012). An alert and conscious person is aware of the impending situation and will react quickly. For example, one who fears the dark will easily run at the emergence of a danger than one who is not fearful of darkness during a walk in the dark. Reaction time or response time can be improved in individuals since most of them are influenced by factors that are controllable (Fletcher, Soko, & Higgins, 2013). They require rigorous drills that aim to improve the time. Maintaining proper health will ensure that the mind is working effectively to control the time effectively. Improving on fitness especially in athletes will ensure that the response time is kept at bay and is well improved. Avoiding too much preoccupation of the mind implies a relaxed mind that is able to respond in time to stimuli. Ensuring that you pay attention to the stimuli also reduces the response time and this help in carrying out activities faster. Intelligence improves or reduces in individuals. This increase or reduction is not anchored on the past years. References Burns, N. R., & Nettelbeck, T. (2003). Inspection time in the structure of cognitive abilities: Where does IT fit?. Intelligence, 31(3), 237-255. Burns, N. R., & Nettelbeck, T. (2005). Inspection time and speed of processing: Sex differences on perceptual speed but not IT. Personality and Individual Differences, 39(2), 439-446. Deary, I. J., Liewald, D., & Nissan, J. (2011). A free, easy-to-use, computer-based simple and four-choice reaction time programme: the Deary-Liewald reaction time task. Behavior research methods, 43(1), 258-268. Drewes, J., & VanRullen, R. (2011). This is the rhythm of your eyes: the phase of ongoing electroencephalogram oscillations modulates saccadic reaction time. The Journal of Neuroscience, 31(12), 4698-4708. Eppig, C., Fincher, C. L., & Thornhill, R. (2011). Parasite prevalence and the distribution of intelligence among the states of the USA. Intelligence, 39(2), 155-160. Fletcher, P. J., Soko, A. D., & Higgins, G. A. (2013). Impulsive action in the 5-choice serial reaction time test in 5-HT2C receptor null mutant mice. Psychopharmacology, 226(3), 561-570. Scotland, J. L., Whittle, I. R., & Deary, I. J. (2012). Cognitive functioning in newly presenting patients with supratentorial intracranial tumors: is there a role for inspection time?. Neuro-oncology, 14(3), 360-367. Tamnes, C. K., Fjell, A. M., Westlye, L. T., Østby, Y., & Walhovd, K. B. (2012). Becoming consistent: developmental reductions in intraindividual variability in reaction time are related to white matter integrity. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32(3), 972-982. Woodley, M. A., te Nijenhuis, J., & Murphy, R. (2013). Were the Victorians cleverer than us? The decline in general intelligence estimated from a meta-analysis of the slowing of simple reaction time. Intelligence. Read More