How does a performer take in information, decide and respond, and what affects reaction time?
Information processing and decision-making: the stages of information processing (input, decision-making, output, feedback), Welford's model, selective attention, and the factors affecting reaction time including Hick's law and the psychological refractory period.
A focused answer to Eduqas A-Level PE on information processing: the input, decision-making, output and feedback stages, Welford's model, selective attention, simple and choice reaction time, Hick's law, the psychological refractory period and how performers improve response speed.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to describe the stages of information processing and Welford's model, explain selective attention, and explain the factors affecting reaction time, including Hick's law and the psychological refractory period.
The stages of information processing
Selective attention
Reaction time and Hick's law
The psychological refractory period
Performers improve reaction time by practising until responses are automatic (stored motor programmes), improving anticipation (reading early cues to prepare the response in advance, spatial and temporal anticipation), sharpening selective attention, and reaching an optimal arousal level. Over-anticipation, however, is risky if the opponent disguises their intention.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 20194 marksDefine reaction time, movement time and response time, and explain how Hick's law relates reaction time to the number of choices.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 reaction-time question. Three marks for the definitions, one for Hick's law.
Reaction time is the time from the onset of a stimulus to the start of the response (no movement yet). Movement time is the time from the start of the movement to its completion. Response time is the total from the stimulus to the completion of the movement, so response time equals reaction time plus movement time. Hick's law states that reaction time increases as the number of stimulus-response choices increases (and the relationship is roughly linear or logarithmic): the more possible responses a performer must choose between, the longer the reaction time. This is why a player with many options (a dummy or disguise creating extra choices) reacts more slowly, and why reducing an opponent's choices is an advantage.
A common dropped mark is muddling reaction time and response time; response time includes the movement.
Eduqas 20216 marksUsing an information processing model such as Welford's, explain how a batter responds to a delivery, and explain two ways a performer can improve their reaction time.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 information-processing question. Markers reward the model applied and two improvement methods.
Award marks for: information processing has four stages. Input: the batter receives information from the environment through the senses (the display), and uses selective attention to filter the relevant cues (the bowler's hand and the ball) from the irrelevant (the crowd). Decision-making: the information passes to short-term and long-term memory, where the batter compares it with stored experience (the perceptual mechanism) and selects the correct response (the translatory and effector mechanisms). Output: the motor programme is sent to the muscles to play the shot. Feedback: intrinsic feedback (how the shot felt) and extrinsic feedback (the result) inform the next response. To improve reaction time, a performer can: practise so responses become automatic and stored as motor programmes (reducing processing time); improve anticipation by reading early cues (spatial and temporal anticipation), so they prepare the response before the stimulus; reduce the opponent's options or learn to detect disguise; and improve selective attention and concentration. Mental rehearsal and a heightened (optimal) arousal level also speed responses.
A top answer maps the batter onto the four stages (with selective attention and memory) and gives genuine reaction-time strategies.
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Sources & how we know this
- Eduqas A Level Physical Education Specification — Eduqas (2016)