Response programming vs. alternative interpretations of the “dit-dah” reaction time effect

Abstract

In a three-choice reaction time paradigm, subjects made buttonpress responses of short, medium, or long duration. Reaction time increased monotonically with the three levels of required response duration for each subject. This result is difficult to accommodate with a hypothesis involving anticipation of stimulus events, and is consistent with the previous view that the difference in reaction time reflects differences in the times required to program the subsequent responses. Within each condition of required press duration, the within-subject correlation of reaction time and actual response duration was essentially zero. This result is consistent with the programming interpretation of the above between-conditions effect rather than an alternative interpretation of a general slowing of the time frame of the reaction time/ response duration sequence. © 1978, The Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.