Protocol
A single visual cue, a choice task, and a vigilance test measure different combinations of detection, decision, and movement.
Average Reaction Time by Age
Wondering how your reaction time compares to others? Here's a comprehensive breakdown of average reaction times by age, activity level, profession, and more.
Observed study mean231 ms
Overall Average
A calibrated 2015 study of 1,469 adults aged 18–65 observed a mean simple visual reaction time of 230.8 ms. After subtracting measured display and input delays, the researchers estimated 213 ms.
This is a useful research anchor, not a universal online-test average. The same review found computerized study means ranging from about 233 ms to 397 ms because hardware, protocol, trials, and samples differed.
Observed data · N = 1,469
Average Reaction Time by Age
In this study, the observed mean increased from 217.9 ms in the 18–24 group to 239.1 ms in the 59–65 group. The fitted age slope was about 0.55 ms per year. These values describe this study and protocol; they are not diagnostic targets.
| Age | Sample | Mean SRT | Change vs 18–24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | 86 | 217.9 ms | +0.0 ms |
| 25–31 | 115 | 221.0 ms | +3.1 ms |
| 32–38 | 201 | 224.8 ms | +6.9 ms |
| 39–45 | 273 | 227.7 ms | +9.8 ms |
| 46–51 | 276 | 233.6 ms | +15.7 ms |
| 52–58 | 272 | 236.4 ms | +18.5 ms |
| 59–65 | 246 | 239.1 ms | +21.2 ms |
Bars begin at zero; values are rounded to one decimal place.
Source: Woods et al. (2015), Table 2. The study used 120 trials with 20 practice trials and calibrated hardware; this site uses five browser trials.
Local comparison lab
Compare your result with the study
Your latest saved test is loaded and compared automatically. If you have several sessions, select any record below, or type a different median manually.
Your score stays in this browser and is not included in analytics.
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MODELED REFERENCE · N = 1,469
Reaction Time Percentiles
A calibrated 2015 study of 1,469 adults reported a mean simple visual reaction time of 231 ms with a between-person standard deviation of 27 ms. We fit that published distribution as a log-normal curve and use it to estimate how many adults would be slower than a given score. Your result card also maps your median to an estimated Reaction Age using the same study's observed age groups. These are reference estimates for context, not measurements of a first-party user population.
| Median score | Faster than |
|---|---|
| 170 ms | faster than 99% of adults |
| 180 ms | faster than 98% of adults |
| 200 ms | faster than 88% of adults |
| 220 ms | faster than 64% of adults |
| 231 ms | faster than 48% of adults |
| 250 ms | faster than 23% of adults |
| 280 ms | faster than 4% of adults |
| 300 ms | faster than 1% of adults |
| 350 ms | faster than <1% of adults |
Reference estimates for context: the fitted curve describes a calibrated study protocol, not a first-party user sample, a diagnosis, or a biological-age claim. Browser scores include display, input-device, and operating-system latency, so compare sessions on the same setup. The result card after any test on this site shows your own percentile and Reaction Age.
Why reaction-time averages vary so much
Hardware
Display refresh, input devices, operating-system scheduling, and browser event handling remain inside an online score.
Summary method
Means, medians, fastest clicks, practice exclusions, and false-start rules can produce different headline numbers.
These examples are summarized in Table 1 of the Woods review. Their differences are evidence against treating one number as a device-independent human average.
What age does—and does not—tell you
Age was associated with slower mean simple reaction time in the calibrated study, but the effect was gradual and individual results overlapped. The study reported an age slope of 0.55 ms per year and found no significant effect of sex or education in its sample.
A score cannot reveal a medical or biological age. This site’s Reaction Age is an estimate for context: it maps your median to the observed average of the closest age group in the study. Sleep, attention, practice, anticipation, hardware, and the exact task can still move a session, so compare complete medians on the same setup.
Research sources and editorial limits
- Woods et al. (2015): calibrated simple visual reaction time in 1,469 adults
- Wilkinson and Allison (1989): decade differences in 5,325 participants
- How this browser test measures and summarizes reaction time
- How we select sources and correct claims
This site publishes reference percentiles and a Reaction Age estimate modeled from published research, not from a first-party user sample. Profession rankings are not offered, and neither the reference percentiles nor the Reaction Age is a medical or biological-age claim.
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