Most of the time, people don’t associate video game players or “gamers” with sports, but do you think that your time spent playing video games might improve your reaction time? Having a good reaction time is definitely a part of being a good athlete! For example, a baseball player must react quickly in order to hit a fastball!
Can you react quickly enough to hit a 90mph fastball?
How can you test this theory out? Before we get experimenting, let’s learn a little more about reaction time.
In simple terms, a reaction is when you detect something, process it, and respond.
Basically, reaction time is how it takes one to respond and make a decision to a stimulus.
A stimulus is any change inside or outside the body. In response to any stimulus, the following happens:
Sensory neurons detect the stimulus ----> Sensory neurons send the message to other neurons, which go to your brain and spinal cord ----> Brain interprets the message ----> Message received by motor neurons ----> Motor neurons tell muscles how to respond
Now that you know a little science behind reaction time, let’s get testing!
YOU WILL NEED:
* Meter stick
* “Gamers” to test
* “Non-gamers” to test
* Table or countertop
Here’s what to do!
1. Test yourself. Sit down at a table or counter with your arm resting on the surface. Your hand should be just off the edge of the counter.
2. Have a friend hold the meter stick so the end that says 0 is right in between your thumb and forefinger. View the image above for reference.
3. Have your friend drop the stick. Pinch the stick as quickly as you can. Record the number that your thumb/forefinger is closest to. The lower the number, the better your reaction time. Do this two more times and record your reactions.
4. Add all three reactions together and then divide by 3 to get your average reaction. For example, if you got 8 cm, 4 cm, and 7 cm, you would add them together first. 8 cm + 4 cm + 7 cm = 19 cm Then you divide the sum by three to get your average. Round to the nearest tenth of a centimeter. 19 cm / 3 = 6.33 cm
6. Repeat steps 1-4 for each subject.
7. Analyze your results. Does it appear that gamers have quicker reaction times than non-gamers?
8. Find the average reaction time for each group. Do this by adding together the average reactions of each non-gamer and then dividing by the number of non-gamers. Do the same for the gamers. Compare averages.
Alternatively or in addition, you could try out this computer-run reaction test: http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime
If you decide to use the computer test, make sure you have good internet connection and use the same computer and mouse for each subject.
Extension: Test other subject groups that might have differences in reaction time. Example: Contact sports players vs. Runners
For other experiments that test the brain, check out:
If you’re looking for activities that get you active, check out: