Reation Time vs. Athleticism

Reaction Time: Does it Decrease with Higher Levels of
Athleticism?

Abstract
Reaction times have been shown to vary based on a variety of variables. Existing research revealed positive overall benefits and inverse relationships between reaction times and athleticism; however, limitations exist regarding the volume of research concerning reaction times and athleticism, homogeneous and small sample sizes, and a restricted range of sports examined. The current study sought to examine if reaction times decreased with higher levels of athleticism. A non-experimental correlational research design was utilized to determine the existence and strength of a relationship between reaction times and level of athleticism among a convenience sample of 40 undergraduate students within a psychology course section of a Mid-Atlantic region online university. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and an online Fastball Reaction Time test to measure individual reaction times. Results revealed an inverse relationship between Reaction Time and Level of Athleticism (r= -.07047). The negative relationship weakly supported the research hypothesis that decreased reaction times are associated with higher levels of athleticism. The calculated test statistic (r = -.07) did not exceed the critical value, therefore it cannot be concluded that decreased reaction time is associated with higher levels of athleticism in the population and is not the result of sampling error. The investigative team failed to reject the null hypothesis but acknowledged the possibility that the variables may be related in the population in a nonlinear fashion. Further research is indicated with randomized and diverse samples and with potential moderating or intervening variables. Keywords: reaction time, athleticism, non-experimental correlational study

Does Reaction Time Decrease with Higher Levels of Athleticism?
Introduction

Reaction time (RT) has been defined

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