Abstract
Recent reports 1 , 2 have indicated that when a subject is instructed to respond manually to a light stimulus the latent time of blocking of the Berger Rhythm (the a-wave of the electroencephalogram) is shorter than it is when no response is made. One of these reports 2 includes a correlation of .37±.09 between reaction time and latent time of blocking. This might be held as indicative of a relationship between “readiness” of the subject and the blocking time.
The present report is concerned with the same general phenomenon, but with a different emphasis in the approach. The aim here is to discover, if possible, the factors involved in the reduction of the latent time of blocking.
A series of experiments was run to verify the results of the previous investigators. Ten normal adult subjects were used. Standard equipment for recording included resistance-capacitance coupled amplifiers driving an ink-writing oscillograph. Plate electrodes were placed on the left occipital area and on the lobe of the left ear. The stimulus lights were of an intensity of 0.3 cp. Response, when made, was by a break key inserted in the light circuit and activating the signal magnet of the ink-writer.
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