Reaction Time
Reaction time measures the delay between a stimulus and the start of a motor response, expressed in milliseconds. Lower values indicate faster responses. Simple reaction time increases gradually with age in both sexes. Read more on Wikipedia
How to Perform This Test (Protocol)
- Equipment
-
- Computer or tablet with reaction time software
- Mouse, keyboard key, or touchscreen as response device
- Protocol Steps
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- Participant sits comfortably in front of the screen with a finger resting on the response key.
- A visual stimulus (e.g. a coloured circle) appears on screen after a random delay.
- Participant presses the response key as quickly as possible when the stimulus appears.
- Repeat for multiple trials (typically 20-40); exclude outliers caused by anticipation or distraction.
- Scoring
Reaction time in milliseconds (ms) from stimulus onset to key press. The median or mean across trials is reported. Lower values indicate faster responses.
- Notes
These norms are based on computerised simple visual reaction time (Blomkvist et al. 2017). Drop-ruler and other field methods produce different values and are not directly comparable.
Reaction Time Norms Chart by Age and Sex (ms)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 20-29 | Male | 180 | 210 | 240 | 280 | 350 |
| Female | 190 | 220 | 255 | 295 | 370 | |
| 30-39 | Male | 185 | 215 | 250 | 290 | 365 |
| Female | 195 | 230 | 265 | 310 | 385 | |
| 40-49 | Male | 195 | 230 | 265 | 310 | 390 |
| Female | 205 | 245 | 285 | 330 | 415 | |
| 50-59 | Male | 210 | 250 | 290 | 340 | 425 |
| Female | 220 | 265 | 310 | 360 | 450 | |
| 60-69 | Male | 230 | 275 | 320 | 375 | 470 |
| Female | 245 | 295 | 345 | 405 | 510 | |
| 70-79 | Male | 260 | 310 | 365 | 430 | 540 |
| Female | 280 | 335 | 395 | 465 | 585 | |
| 80+ | Male | 300 | 360 | 425 | 500 | 630 |
| Female | 325 | 390 | 460 | 545 | 685 | |
What to expect by age group
Among adults in their 30s, the middle 50% measure 215 to 290 ms for men and 230 to 310 ms for women. Reaction time increases steadily with each decade, adding roughly 30 to 40 ms per decade from the 30s to the 70s; men tend to be about 15 to 20 ms faster than women across all ages. Times above 290 ms (men) or 310 ms (women) are typically below average; times below 215 ms (men) or 230 ms (women) are above average (lower is faster).
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 210 to 280 | 220 to 295 |
| 30-39 | 215 to 290 | 230 to 310 |
| 40-49 | 230 to 310 | 245 to 330 |
| 50-59 | 250 to 340 | 265 to 360 |
| 60-69 | 275 to 375 | 295 to 405 |
| 70-79 | 310 to 430 | 335 to 465 |
| 80+ | 360 to 500 | 390 to 545 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good reaction time?
Average visual reaction time is 200-300 milliseconds for adults. Younger adults tend toward the faster end; times increase gradually with age.
Does reaction time slow with age?
Yes, reaction time typically increases (slows) with age due to changes in neural processing speed. Regular cognitive activity may help maintain faster responses.
Can you improve reaction time?
Practice and specific training can improve reaction time, though gains are typically modest. Video games and sports requiring quick reactions may help.
Why do men react faster than women?
In these reference values, men are 15 to 20 ms faster than women at every adult age bracket. The age-related slowing across decades is considerably larger than this sex gap.
What factors slow reaction time besides age?
Fatigue, alcohol, sleep deprivation, and some medications, especially sedatives, can all slow reaction time. Distraction also matters. Regular physical activity is generally associated with faster processing speed, but day-to-day factors such as sleep and alertness can have a larger immediate effect than training.