The effect of different visual stimuli on reaction times: a performance comparison of young and middle-aged people

[Purpose] Here, we evaluated the reaction times of young and middle-aged people in different tasks. [Participants and Methods] The study included 23 young and 28 middle-aged volunteers. Their reaction times were measured in three tasks featuring different symbols (arrow and figure symbols) and spatial attributes (left, right, and ipsilateral choices). [Results] No significant inter-group differences in the reaction times were found for the simple reaction time task. In the choice reaction time and go/no-go reaction time tasks, the middle-aged participants demonstrated significantly slower reaction times. When the correct response was congruous with the direction of an arrow stimulus, the reaction times were shortened significantly among the middle-aged participants. In the go/no-go reaction time task, the reactions were delayed due to an inhibition of responses to upcoming stimuli. [Conclusion] The slower reaction time of the middle-aged participants in the choice reaction time task suggested that their responses were guided by the arrow stimulus to a greater extent compared to that of the younger participants. In the go/no-go reaction time task, the reaction times may have been slower in middle-aged participants because of a non-response possibility, which meant that participants had to first check the stimulus before deciding whether to respond.