The detection of a temporal event was investigated in two experiments comparing perceptual performance in terms of reaction time, hit rate, and number of false alarms on four separated and integrated display formats with and without historical information. In addition, the importance of supplementary digital information was examined. Experiment 1 showed that instantaneous displays were perceived faster than historical displays on high-rate events but not on low-rate events. The hit rate and the number of false alarms was higher on integrated displays than on separated displays. Experiment 2 used data with random noise added. Graphical integration across time and across the eight variables both had significant importance for the ability to see trends in the presence of noise. Adding digital information to graphical displays was found to decrease reaction time in general, but the hit rate may be reduced by adding numbers on integrated displays without a temporal dimension.
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