Tachistoscope

A tachistoscope is a device from the experimental psychology of perception, which is used in the Tachistoskopie.

Operation

The tachistoscope is designed so that it is very brief presentations of visual stimuli, such as Pictures or symbols allowed. Performance times can take a millisecond to as. Tachistoskope work with either a high-speed shutter (german high-speed shutter) with continuous illumination or with a high-voltage automatic ignition, which in 30-50 · 10-6 seconds (or microseconds ) can ignite the lamp lighting. Tachistoskope are constructed either as insight equipment or projectors.

To convey more stimuli within a short time as many performance devices are required. Tachistoskope usually include two performance facilities.

Tachistoskope compared to computer-aided process

Tachistoskope were largely replaced with advent of computer technology from the experimental psychology. Meanwhile, however, they regain a meaning in the field of preconscious or preattentive perception.

For this, performance times by 10-20 · 10-3 seconds (ie, ms ) is necessary, which can be easily achieved with good CRT monitors. The advent of LC displays, inter alia, in neuroscience fMRI research where CRT monitors can not be used, but mechanical alternatives makes interesting again. LC displays have physical limits of the refresh rate in the range of 15 ms, which can be controlled valid only with considerable effort also. A further disadvantage is that many commercially available displays not achieve full brightness in that period. A general advantage of mechanical devices in experimental psychology is that with the increasingly complex architecture of now common operating systems Experimental processes in the millisecond range can always be worse controls and real-time operating systems are necessary.