Relationship Between Arousal and Choice Reaction Time

Samaneh Damanpak¹*, Puneh Mokhtari² and S. Mohammad Vaez Mousavi³

¹Department of Physical Education, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. ²Department of Physical Education, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. ³Department of Psychology, Exercise Physiology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences and University of Imam Hossein, Tehran, Iran.

ABSTRACT: Traditional Inverted-U hypothesis had been the primary model used by sport psychologists to describe the arousal-performance relationship. However, many sport psychology researchers have challenged this relationship. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between arousal and Choice Reaction Time (RT) performance .28 non-athlete female undergraduate students (mean age: 20 years and 6 months) voluntary participated in this study. They were asked to produce responses by depressing buttons with two fingers of one hand in choice RT task. Skin Conductance Level (SCL) as arousal index was recorded continuously during performance. Results indicated that arousal did not correlate with performance. This finding provides no support for the Inverted-U hypothesis in relation to choice RT performance.

KEYWORDS: Arousal; skin conductance level; choice reaction time; inverted- U hypothesis

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