Tachistoscope

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Tachistoscope (1921)

A tachistoscope is a device from experimental perceptual psychology . It is designed to allow very brief presentations of visual stimuli, e.g. B. images or symbols allowed. It is used in tachistoscopy .

functionality

Tachistoskope work with either a high-speed shutter ( Engl. High-speed shutter ) in a continuous lighting or with a high-voltage automatic ignition, the lighting lamp in 30-50 x 10 -6 (ie seconds microseconds ) can ignite. Tachistoscopes are designed either as viewing devices or as projectors. Presentation times can be less than a millisecond.

Just as many presentation devices are required to present several stimuli within a short period of time. Tachistoscopes usually include two presentation devices.

Tachistoscopes compared to computer-aided procedures

With the advent of computer technology, tachistoscopes were largely displaced from experimental psychology. In the meantime, however, they have regained importance in the area of ​​preconscious or pre- attentive perception .

This requires presentation times of around 10-20 · 10 -3 seconds (i.e. ms ), which can be easily achieved with good CRT monitors . The advent of LC displays , etc. a. in neuroscientific fMRI research, however, where tube monitors cannot be used, makes mechanical alternatives interesting again. LC displays have physical limits on the refresh rate in the range of 15 ms, which can only be validly checked with considerable effort . Another disadvantage is that many commercial displays do not yet achieve full luminance during this time. A general advantage of mechanical devices in experimental psychology is that with the increasingly complex architecture of today's operating systems, experimental processes in the millisecond range can be controlled more and more poorly and real-time operating systems are necessary.

Web links

Wiktionary: Tachistoskop  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations