By comparing reaction times across different tasks, Donders was able to conclude how long the mind needs to perform a certain co
gnitive task. Donders interpreted the difference in reaction time between the simple and choice conditions of his experiment as indicating how long it took to _____.
Donders wanted to find out the level of cognition that was required in order to react to a stimulus. Cognition is the act of receiving a stimulus and understanding it completely.
The reaction time of various stimuli were noted and analyzed. The stimuli differed by their level of complexity. A longer time would indicate that the brain was taking longer to complete the cognitive processes. This was one of the first experiments in the field of cognitive psychology.
