What insights can response times provide for education research?

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this methodological article is to discuss the contribution of response times as a tool in education research. The use of response times in research is largely a legacy of the work carried out in cognitive psychology, which has made it possible to describe the cognitive processes involved in information processing. In education, research that incorporates response times into its methodological design often has two main objectives: 1) evaluate the automation of basic learning and 2) infer the cognitive processes involved in academic learning, such as working memory and inhibitory control. This article addresses and discusses specific research designs that use response times across various academic disciplines and instructional levels, offering a comprehensive overview of the potential applications of response times in education research. In light of this overview, utilizing response times in education research not only emerges as relevant but also serves to complement existing methodological tools. For instance, such designs can aid in identifying the relative difficulty of different types of learning, understanding the underlying reasons for such variations, and offering valuable insights for developing learning sequences and pedagogical interventions that are more consistent with learning processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Response time
• reaction time
• education research
• cognitive processes
• working memory
• inhibitory control
• priming paradigm

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).