Put a new spin on an old favorite. Test out your Visual or Auditory Reaction times while being thoroughly distracted. Can you multi-task and still be as successful as you are when only focused on one thing? Testing reaction times under different distractions is a fun way to explore multitasking and cognitive limits.
Add some new hypotheses to this lab and see how you do!
Some distractions you can try for both visual and auditory reaction time:
- Cell Phone Use: Have your partner continually text you.
- Talking: Have your partner try to engage you in conversation.
- Interactive Games: Play a quick, unrelated game while completing the test.
Broaden the scope by adding other distraction scenarios. Here are a few ideas to spice it up even more:
- Video Challenge: Watch a video with changing subtitles and images while testing your auditory reaction time.
- Eating or Drinking: Snack or sip on something while trying to stay focused (only if the lab allows food or beverages).
- Ambient Noise: Turn on background noise, like a busy café soundtrack or white noise, to simulate a public space. See how this impacts your visual reaction time.
- Music – Put in your earbuds and listen to your favorite song while trying to react to a visual stimulus.
- Movement: Try walking, bouncing a ball, or spinning in a chair during the activity.
Create some new hypotheses:
- Hypothesis 1: “Auditory distractions will have a greater impact on reaction time than visual distractions.”
- Hypothesis 2: “Individuals who are used to multitasking (e.g., regular texters) will perform better under phone-based distractions.”
- Hypothesis 3: “Complexity of the distraction correlates inversely with reaction time efficiency.”
Physiology in Action
A Distraction Can Impair or Enhance Motor Performance – PMC
Distractions significantly delay remote drivers’ reaction time | ScienceDaily