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In this experiment, we attempted to explore Donders’ question: “Is thinking a material process?” through determining the time it takes for one to think, read, and negate a statement. In order to carry out the experiment, we used the Serendip applet “Time to Think,” which records the time in milliseconds that it takes the subject to react, react + think, react + think + read, and react + read + negate +think. The following table represents the average times (in milliseconds) that each of our 2 subjects took to perform each task.

Case

Average Time (milliseconds)

Standard Deviation

Isolated “Variables”

1: Reaction

244

262

12

30

244

262

2: Reaction + Thinking

354

368

88

81

90

106

3: Reaction+Thinking+Reading

484

560

54

145

130

192

4: Reaction + Thinking + Reading + Negating

591

610

149

n/a

107

50

Our findings suggest that
After performing the first phase of the experiment, we asked the question: “How will talking on a cell phone change the respective time measurements?” In order to explore our question, we carried on a lengthy phone conversation with each other while one reenacted the case tests. We hypothesize that talking on a cell phone will slow the reaction, reading, and negating times as well as the average times for each case. Below is a table representing our findings and the differences between the independent (1st) trial and the affected (2nd) trial.

Case

Average Time

Standard Deviation

Isolated “Variables”

Difference from trial 1a avg

Difference from trial 1a isolated variables

1: Reaction

578

313

578

316

316

2: Reaction + Thinking

504

190

-74

164

-180

3: Reaction+Thinking+Reading

843

175

339

283

147

4: Reaction + Thinking + Reading + Negating

1228

992

385

618

335

 
As the tables above would suggest, talking on a cell phone had an overall significant effect on both average and isolated variable measurements.
Why is this important? This simulation is remarkably similar to the experience of driving and talking on a cell phone. When driving, one has to react to pedestrians and other cars and read/interpret traffic signs and stop lights. The changes from table 1 to table 2, which represent the slowed reaction, reading, and interpreting times while talking on a cell phone, suggest that talking on a cell phone while driving reduces reacting, reading, and interpreting skills and is obviously dangerous.
 
-Anna and Lili