Fractionated reaction times of elbow-flexion to light stimuli were measured when two kinds of loads (light and heavy) were applied to the elbow joint. Premotor time for the heavy load was lengthened in comparison with that for the light load. This fact suggests that the intensity of the muscle tension required for the response influences the initiation of the output from the central nervous system. When subjects were informed about the load before presentation of the stimulus, premotor time was shorter than that under the conditions without the information. It seemed that the preparatory set for the force output influenced the fractionated reaction time for 20 subjects.
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