Task Complexity Modulates Gender Differences in Reaction Time: An Experimental Study
Keywords:
Reaction Time, Gender Differences, Simple Reaction Time, Choice Reaction Time, Cognitive ProcessingAbstract
This study examined gender differences in reaction time (RT) under simple and choice experimental conditions among 100 undergraduate students (49 males, 51 females) recruited via convenience sampling from different areas of Karachi. Using a between-groups experimental design, participants completed either a simple RT task (identifying a single target color among six alternatives) or a choice RT task (selecting any color according to preference), with response latency recorded manually by stopwatch. Independent-samples t-tests revealed no significant difference in RT between the simple and choice conditions. Gender comparisons, however, showed a condition-specific pattern: in the simple condition, females responded significantly faster than males, whereas no significant gender difference emerged in the choice condition. These findings suggest that gender-related differences in RT are not uniform but depend on task demands, with the additional decision-making component of choice tasks appearing to attenuate the gender gap observed under simpler conditions. Methodological limitations and directions for replication are discussed.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). simple reaction time (SRT). In APA dictionary of psychology. Retrieved July 12, 2026, from https://dictionary.apa.org/simple-reaction-time
Ansado, J., Eynard, B., Mirofle, N., Mennetrey, C., Banchereau, J., Sablon, M., Lokietek, E., Vourc'h, F. L., Tissot, J., Wrobel, J., Martel, C., Granon, S., & Suarez, S. (2024). Adult norms for the decision-making MindPulse digital test. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/23279095.2024.2307413
Bari, D. S., & Aldosky, H. Y. Y. (2022). Effect of types of stimuli, handedness and gender differences on reaction time among adults students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Biomedical Human Kinetics, 14(1), 95–101. https://doi.org/10.2478/bhk-2022-0012
Bianco, V., Berchicci, M., Quinzi, F., Perri, R. L., Spinelli, D., & Russo, F. D. (2020). Females are more proactive, males are more reactive: Neural basis of the gender-related speed/accuracy trade-off in visuo-motor tasks. Brain Structure & Function, 225(1), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-019-01998-3
Chou, T., Gill, S., Sergio, L. E., & Kaminski, T. W. (2022). The association of sport type and sex on reaction time during cognitive-motor integration tasks. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 54(9S), 91. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000876176.06933.72
Dodig, I. P., Krišto, D., Kalcina, L. L., Pecotić, R., Valić, M., & Đogaš, Z. (2020). The effect of age and gender on cognitive and psychomotor abilities measured by computerized series tests: A cross-sectional study. Croatian Medical Journal, 61(2), 82–92. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2020.61.82
Gautam, Y. (2023). Comparison of Stroop colour-word test among male and female students in a medical college of Nepal. Journal of Kathmandu Medical College, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.3126/jkmc.v12i1.56695
Migliaccio, G. M., Di Filippo, G., Russo, L., Orgiana, T., Ardigò, L. P., Casal, M. Z., Peyré-Tartaruga, L. A., & Padulo, J. (2022). Effects of mental fatigue on reaction time in sportsmen. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14360. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114360
Nanova, P., Kolev, V., & Yordanova, J. (2022). Neurophysiological basis of the cognitive gender differences in adulthood in humans: Evidence from event-related brain potentials. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie Bulgare des Sciences, 75(2), 161–177.
https://doi.org/10.7546/crabs.2022.02.01
Ołpińska-Lischka, M., Kujawa, K., Wirth, J. A., Antosiak-Cyrak, K. Z., & Maciaszek, J. (2020). The influence of 24-hr sleep deprivation on psychomotor vigilance in young women and men. Nature and Science of Sleep, 12, 125–134. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S235385
Qiao, Y., Kawabata, Y., & Sasaki, M. (2026). Gender-dependent color discrimination ability and speed–accuracy tradeoff: Insights from ND-100 hue tests. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1722974
Roopashree, K., Ghosh, S., & Nandini, C. (2021). Effects of age, gender, and anthropometric measurements on simple visual and auditory reaction time in healthy Indian adults. National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.5455/njppp.2022.12.02053202104082021
Sawicka, A. K., Michalak, K., Naparło, B., Bermudo-Gallaguet, A., Mataró, M., Winklewski, P. J., & Marcinkowska, A. (2025). Menstrual cycle phase influences cognitive performance in women and modulates sex differences: A combined longitudinal and cross-sectional study. Biology, 14(8), 1060. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14081060
Shan, R., Kaur, G., Manhas, M., Gupta, M., Kumar, S., & Kumari, T. (2022). Does visual reaction time change with gender? National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 12(7). https://doi.org/10.5455/njppp.2022.12.05237202203062022
Shankaregowda, S. K., Shenoy, P., Bhise, S. K., Rajak, N., Goothy, S. S. K., Choudhary, A., & Chouhan, R. S. (2022). A pilot study to compare auditory and visual reaction time in male and female young adults. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 13(11), 296–299. https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v13i11.47501
Yang, C. C., Totzek, J. F., Lepage, M., & Lavigne, K. M. (2022). Normative sex differences in cognition and morphometric brain connectivity: Evidence from 30,000+ UK Biobank participants. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.10.12.511938
Yang, C. C., Totzek, J. F., Lepage, M., & Lavigne, K. M. (2023). Sex differences in cognition and structural covariance-based morphometric connectivity: Evidence from 28,000+ UK Biobank participants. Cerebral Cortex. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhad286
Плохіх, В. В., & Яновська, С. Г. (2022). Статева диференціація організації екстреної сенсомоторної дії. Іnsajt, (7), 24–39. https://doi.org/10.32999/2663-970x/2022-7-3
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Pakistan Journal of Positive Psychology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
