Why use a response pad?

There are a number of reasons for using a response pad instead of a keyboard, mainly:

Resolution

The RB-530 response pads offer 1 millisecond reaction time resolution. By contrast, the Mac keyboard (pre iMac) offers 4 milliseconds or (iMacs and later) 10-12 milliseconds. The PC's resolution ranges between 20 and 35 milliseconds for PS2 keyboards and 10-12 milliseconds for USB keyboards.

Simplicity

A typical keyboard has 105 keys. This can be confusing to participants and might render the reaction time data meaningless if they spend a lot of time looking for the correct key. This factor is particularly important for certain groups such as children, participants with Alzheimer's Disease, and novice computer users.

Customisable

Every response pad includes, free, color and clear key tops. This makes it even easier for participants to follow instructions (e.g. press green key if correct or red if incorrect) and helps improve further the quality of the collected reaction times.