Elevation of Core Temperature and Mental Functioning

1996 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonios K. Travlos ◽  
Daniel Q. Marisi

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether raised core temperature due to gradually increased amounts of exercise affects concentration and speed of information processing. 20 paid men, separated into groups of high (>56 ml/kg/min.) and low fitness (<46 ml/kg/min.) according to their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), participated in two experimental conditions (exercise and control). Concentration was measured by the Random Number Generation test of attentional deployment given every 10 min. of cycling at workloads calculated as 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80% of individual VO2max values and 10 min. after exercise cessation (exhaustion). Speed of information processing was estimated by an eight-choice reaction time/ movement time task given before and after exercise and 15 min. after exercise cessation. Core temperature was recorded at the same time individuals were administered the psychological tests. Analyses indicated that core temperatures increased significantly as a function of exercise intensity for high and low fitness groups. Correlations among the psychophysiological factors indicated that increases in core temperature were not associated with mental functioning. However, at certain core temperatures, core temperature and average choice reaction time/movement time were associated with participants' fitness.

1985 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 775-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darhl Nielsen ◽  
Carl McGown

It has become very popular to view the human as a processor of information, with reaction time (RT) used in various ways to measure the speed of information processing. In many sports quick decisions are essential to success. It is tempting to study reaction time, infer information-processing ability, and use the results to make predictions about success. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between various RT and movement time (MT) measures [simple RT, simple MT, simple total response time (TRT), choice RT, choice MT, choice TRT, and information-processing ability as determined by the increase in RT from simple to eight-choice conditions] with batting average, slugging percentage, and total average. 40 varsity baseball players from Colorado State University, University of Wyoming, University of Utah, and Brigham Young University were given 24 practice attempts followed by 48 experimental attempts for both simple and choice RT and MT. These scores were then correlated with batting averages, slugging percentages, and total averages. This research demonstrated no relationship between the various measurements of reaction and movement times and offensive ability in baseball.


1973 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 321-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter W. Surwillo

Simple and choice RT were investigated in 54 male Ss, aged 34 to 92 yr. Findings suggested that old age is accompanied by a slowing of information processing.


1973 ◽  
Vol 36 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1211-1216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Remington

Results of several analyses of error data from four different discrete-choice reaction experimental conditions (an equiprobable two-choice condition, a two-choice condition in which one of the stimulus events appeared with a probability of .70, an equiprobable four-choice condition, and a four-choice condition in which one signal appeared on 20% of the trials) indicate salient characteristics of error data which an adequate model should predict, as well as some clues as to the information processing microstructure which determine error responses. In general, the second and third-order sequential effects observed for the error probability data closely parallel the often reported sequential effects associated with choice reaction time (CRT) data. However, findings concerning CRTs associated with error and posterror responses are reported which raise a number of questions regarding adequacy of current theoretical formulations which assume that errors are generated by premature exit from an invariant sequence of additive and stochastically independent processing stages. In addition, several methodological implications of results are delineated and discussed.


2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. Bishop ◽  
Costas I. Karageorghis ◽  
Noel P. Kinrade

The main objective of the current study was to examine the impact of musically induced emotions on athletes’ subsequent choice reaction time (CRT) performance. A random sample of 54 tennis players listened to researcher-selected music whose tempo and intensity were modified to yield six different music excerpts (three tempi × two intensities) before completing a CRT task. Affective responses, heart rate (HR), and RTs for each condition were contrasted with white noise and silence conditions. As predicted, faster music tempi elicited more pleasant and aroused emotional states; and higher music intensity yielded both higher arousal (p < .001) and faster subsequent CRT performance (p < .001). White noise was judged significantly less pleasant than all experimental conditions (p < .001); and silence was significantly less arousing than all but one experimental condition (p < .001). The implications for athletes’ use of music as part of a preevent routine when preparing for reactive tasks are discussed.


1968 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 651-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon E. Smith

The motor performance of 32 college men was measured on the following tests: arm strength, arm reaction and movement times, arm-and-leg serial reaction and movement times. Specificity of variance of individual differences was found for single, simple, and discrete limb movements and for three programmed series of large RT-MT movements which involved 240 responses.


1976 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 807-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andras Semjen ◽  
Jean Requin

Choice reaction time and movement time were measured in a discrete visuo-manual pointing task. Two movement amplitudes (7.5 cm and 30 cm) and two target widths (1.5 cm and 6 cm) were used in all possible combinations. Movement time varied according to movement amplitude and to target width. However, some departure from the linear relationship between movement difficulty and movement time, known as the Fins' law, was observed. Choice RT varied according to movement amplitude, whereas target width influenced choice RT for short-amplitude movements but not for long-amplitude movements. It is concluded that the previously reported relationship between movement difficulty and choice RT primarily results from variations in movement amplitude.


1958 ◽  
Vol 104 (437) ◽  
pp. 1123-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Broadhurst

It has been clinically observed that psychiatric patients in general (6, 11) and schizophrenic patients in particular (1, 4) show abnormalities of mental speed, being “retarded” or slower than normals on many measures. Confirmatory evidence on this point is to be found but much of the early work on speed of schizophrenic reactivity used measures of speed of motor performance (12, 13) or of reaction time under various conditions (6), ignoring more fundamental slowness of thought processes. The present studies are concentrated on the recent finding that schizophrenics show abnormally slow mental speed measured in a problem-solving situation (4, 18, 19). The aim of the investigation was to discover the exact conditions under which this abnormality appears, and, thence, by manipulating the experimental conditions, to be able to bring speed of mental functioning under experimental control. This paper describes the attempt to bring speed under control by means of drugs. A second paper (2) deals with the effect of practice upon mental speed.


2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-369
Author(s):  
Colleen A. Lewis ◽  
Paul R. Surburg

The purpose of this study was to determine if adults with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) display midline crossing inhibition (MCI) in the lower extremity as measured by choice reaction time (CRT) and movement time (MT) as compared to participants without disabilities. Midline crossing ability was assessed in the standing position using a protocol developed by Eason and Surburg (1993). Both groups were significantly slower in the contralateral direction as compared to the ipsilateral and midline direction as measured by CRT. Results revealed that adults with CP were significantly slower in CRT and MT tasks as compared to participants without disabilities. Assessment of midline crossing ability may provide useful information related to assessment and subsequent treatment as individuals with CP age.


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