From what I understand, one's reaction time cannot be improved. However I am not sure if I can dispute this or not.

For many years I have not done anything to challenge my reflexes or reaction time... now, since I started college I started to play first person shooters like Halo and Counter-Strike. I played Halo just casually so I didn't try to get better as much as I could have tried. Now 2 months ago I started to play Counter-Strike. I have got addicted and played for an average of about 4-5 hours every day... doing this for 2 months, I noticed a slow improvement in my reaction time. Now just 5 days ago I hit a big jump in reaction time improvement... now I average about 195 ms (opposed to 2 months ago being at 228ms) and I have experimented some and noticed that if I keep trying I will hit 150 ms for a visual reaction time (I hit 150 is I concentrate very hard... just like I had to concenrate hard to get sub 200 ms). My auditory reaction went from 165 to 150-148 ms.

Now here is my question. Is it that I am actually improving my reaction time or is it that I am actually just unlocking my brain's hidden power?

I am not sure if the theory that reaction time cannot be improved comes from people who seems to not be able to improve anymore.

Any ideas?

By the way...
http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/reactiontime.html -- this tests you visual reaction time
http://www.brainconnection.com/games/?main=dunk/dunk -- this tests your auditory reaction time

Yes, you can increase your reaction time.

Repeatedly practicing a response over time can make it automatic, rather then something that requires a conscience effort to accomplish. Thats what differentiates good martial artists with amateurs, the amateur needs to think before do, while the good martial artist acts automatically because of presistent training. That automatic reaction can save time on your response.

Playing all those games get you good at squeezing things(buttons, triggers) from a variety of stimuli.

Neurologically speaking, common reactions are made faster by having more neurons dedicated to the task and by having more mylerization, which results in faster transmision of the signal over distance.

btw, try the mod The Specialist and the mod Natural Selection, both are very good. And gaming is a more healthy hobby then binge drinking, though you might get laid less often. :(

Playing all those games get you good at squeezing things(buttons, triggers) from a variety of stimuli.

So I just get good at pushing or squeezing things... but if I were in a car and I had to react to an accident ahead of me, that would be different?

Neurologically speaking, common reactions are made faster by having more neurons dedicated to the task and by having more mylerization, which results in faster transmision of the signal over distance.

I was told that one cannot make the brain process anything faster... I can only make the distance that a signal has to travel shorter.

btw, try the mod The Specialist and the mod Natural Selection, both are very good.

I will try these. Thank you for the suggestions.

And gaming is a more healthy hobby then binge drinking, though you might get laid less often. :(

Yea... I have noticed this :(

Any other thoughts? lol.

I once posted a theory a long time back to which people suggested it wasn't correct, however it went along the lines that people of a shorter disposition have a faster reaction time due to the distance being smaller than those that are larger.

This was based upon the size of people that played arcade games and consoles, and the fact I never seemed to be be quick enough :(

:)


I can say from personal exp. that martial art training to improve your response time most certainly works. while your brain my not (and is most certainly not) working faster, you can learn to perceive more of the world around you at once. You are therefore able to see things coming sooner, and react to them sooner. Your percieved reaction time is therefore faster.

Head over to a local dojo, and ask if they have a couple quick lessons on how to speed up reaction time.

I'll tell them River Wind sent me ;)

Well what I notice that when I play Counter-Strike on my good days (quick reaction time) I am able to perceive the screen (or world.. whatever) more quickly and I can take in more. Days like today I am slow and I have trouble :/

However I am interested to know why my visual reaction time can be slower than usual yet my auditory reaction time is always at average (160) or below (like today, I average 144). To me is seems the visual part of my brain is always the most tired of all. Why is this?

An interesting note... my right ear "hears" sound faster than my left ear.. I tested this out today :p

Auditory = 177ms average reaction time
Visual = 210ms average reaction time

What, exactly, are the expected results and ranges (percentile ranks)?
I think my reaction time is pretty average but I might be wrong... ? Let
me know if you find the above information.

The average visual reaction time is about 200 ms and the average auditory reaction time is about 160 ms. These times depend on things like how much sleep you get, how addicted you are to caffeine and sugar, etc :D

Like, I just woke up when I read your message. My auditory reaction time when I am fully awake is 150 ms or so. I just tested it and I am 196 ms.
My visual is about .2 right now... which is a hell of a lot better than yesterday because I was slower. lol. I was like 234 and stuff.

The average visual reaction time is about 200 ms and the average auditory reaction time is about 160 ms. These times depend on things like how much sleep you get, how addicted you are to caffeine and sugar, etc :D

Like, I just woke up when I read your message. My auditory reaction time when I am fully awake is 150 ms or so. I just tested it and I am 196 ms.
My visual is about .2 right now... which is a hell of a lot better than yesterday because I was slower. lol. I was like 234 and stuff.

200 and 160 ? I have trouble believing my reaction time could be under average but I suppose it's possible even though I always have a 3:1 or better ratio at counter-strike. I know cs isn't all about reactions but it's funny that someone with sub-par visual and auditory stimulus recognition could be so good at something requiring the former in an important way...

Maybe you are very fast in CS... like when your brain recognizes the enemy, the imediate reaction is to fire your M4 or AK :)

Have you ever taken a reaction time test before? There might be a slight learning curve in there because your brain has to figure out when the right time to react is.

Or it could be your computer is not keeping track of the elapsed time correctly. Could be anything.

But to get a 3:1 ratio in CS reaquires someone to be fast... because they have to make up for being shot at... like if you are fast enough to shoot him with 3 bullets while he get's 1 bullet in you, you did good. Because then you might survive the next 3 or 4 :)