Donders' experiment

Donders’ experiment was designed to measure how long the brain takes to process information. He asked participants to respond to different tasks, such as pressing a button when they saw a light. In some cases, they had to decide if the light was on the right or left; in others, they simply responded when they saw any light. By comparing reaction times in these tasks, Donders could estimate the time needed for mental processes like decision-making. This experiment helped establish that mental operations have measurable durations, paving the way for understanding human cognition scientifically.