Reaction time

Reaction time is the interval between the presentation of a stimulus and the initiation of a response. It is used to study how quickly sensory information is detected, processed, and acted upon.

Stimulus–response compatibility: The degree to which a stimulus and its required response correspond naturally or spatially. Compatible mappings generally elicit faster responses than incompatible ones.
Stimulus: A detectable event or change that can elicit a response in a sensory system. Reaction-time measurement starts when a stimulus is presented or detected.
Driving under the influence: Operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or other psychoactive substances. Impairment can delay responses to hazards and complicate stopping-distance estimates.
Go/no-go task: A task requiring a response to designated signals and withholding it for others. Its accuracy includes response inhibition, not just response speed.
Psychomotor vigilance task: A sustained-attention test measuring responses to unpredictable visual signals. Its simple repeated responses reveal lapses and fluctuations in reaction time.
Response: An action or change produced by an organism in reaction to an event. The chosen response defines when the measured interval ends.
Sleep deprivation: A condition caused by insufficient sleep or prolonged wakefulness. It increases lapses and slow responses on vigilance tasks.
Stop-signal task: A task measuring the ability to cancel an initiated response after a stop signal. It estimates stopping ability rather than ordinary stimulus-to-response latency.
Speed–accuracy tradeoff: The tendency for faster decisions to produce more errors, and more cautious decisions to take longer. A short response time can reflect haste rather than efficient processing.
Sensory transduction: The conversion of sensory energy into electrical signals in receptor cells. Transduction contributes to the time between stimulus onset and neural processing.

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