Decision making, reaction times

As noted in the introduction, a major aim of the current research is the development of "black-box" automated reactors that can produce particles with desired physicochemical properties on demand and without any user intervention. In operation, an ideal reactor would behave in the manner of Figure 12. The user would first specify the required particle properties. The reactor would then evaluate multiple reaction conditions until it eventually identified an appropriate set of reaction conditions that yield particles with the specified properties, and it would then continue to produce particles with exactly these properties until instructed to stop. There are three essential parts to any automated system—(1) physical machinery to perform the process at hand, (2) online detectors for monitoring the output of the process, and (3) decision-making software that repeatedly updates the process parameters until a product with the desired properties is obtained. The effectiveness of the automation procedure is critically dependent on the performance of these three subsystems, each of which must satisfy a number of key criteria the machinery should provide precise reproducible control of the physical process and should carry out the individual process steps as rapidly as possible to enable fast screening the online detectors should provide real-time low-noise information about the end product and the decision-making software should search for the optimal conditions in a way that is both parsimonious in terms of experimental measurements (in order to ensure a fast time-to-solution) and tolerant of noise in the experimental system. 

Cell phones are also dangerous because when you are busy talking, especially if you really have to concentrate on the matter you are discussing, your mind is not fully focused on the road, and this has a significant effect on your reaction time. You will be slower to make important driving decisions such as how soon to brake and when to switch lanes, and you will be less able to respond to situations on the road. 

Potter PC, Schepers JM, Van Niekerk CH. The effects of fexofenadine on reaction time, decision-making, and driver behavior. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2003 91 177-81. 

Acceptance of air pollution models in decision-making will depend on the degree of confidence that can be placed in their predictions. The validity of a model is established by carefully comparing its predictions with air quality data for the particular airshed. Air quality models capable of predicting concentrations of primary (those emitted directly) and secondary (those formed by chemical reaction in the atmosphere) contaminants at any time and location in an airshed must clearly be based on sound fundamentals of meteorology and chemistry. 

These can reduce some of the impairments attributed to alcohol abuse (memory, attention, recognition, reaction time, and decision making). 

In 12 healthy subjects alcohol 0.85 g/kg (2 mL/kg of 100 proof vodka in orange juice) worsened the performance of a SEDI task (Simulator Evaluation of Drug Impairment). This task is believed to parallel the skills needed to drive safely, and involves tests of attention, memory, recognition, decision making and reaction times. When the subjects were al so given dexamfetamine 90 or 180 micrograms/kg, there was a dose-related improvement in the performance of the SEDI task, but the subjective as-... 

Although tests of associative processes involve retrieval from semantic memory, the structure of semantic memory and the processes involved in retrieving information from it have typically been studied with tests that involve measurement of reaction times (RTs) for making simple decisions. Such tests are considered in this section. 

People are not alike. They differ in size, shape, strength, reaction time, physical condition, health, and physiological performance. They differ in ability to perform actions and in knowledge, skills and abilities They differ in the ability to form judgments and make decisions. They differ in attitudes and beliefs, in emotions and in other ways. 

Vigilance and monitoring Decision making Awareness Fast reaction time Tracking ability Memory... 

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