Setting Up the Reaction Time Test
You'll need a partner for this experiment - one person tests whilst the other measures. Person 1 sits upright on a stool with their dominant arm resting on the table, hand hanging over the edge.
Person 2 holds a ruler vertically so the 0cm mark sits between Person 1's thumb and first finger. When Person 2 drops the ruler at a random moment, Person 1 must catch it as quickly as possible.
The key measurement is where the ruler sits level with the top of Person 1's thumb after catching it. Repeat this several times to calculate a mean reaction time, then swap roles to compare results between different people.
Top Tip: Make sure the person catching doesn't anticipate the drop - it needs to be completely random for accurate results!
