Effects of low level, low frequency electric fields on human reaction time

Abstract

artificial e compared geo investigators have reported effects of low level, natural and ectromagnetic fields on human behavior.Friedman and co-workers agnetic activity with psychiatric hospital admissions', and later reported effects of artificial low frequency (0.1, 0.2 Hz) magnetic fields on simple reaction time .Reiter3 reported effects of atmospheric electricity on human simple reaction time and Konig and co-workers4 experimented with a similar apparatus and paradigm using low frequency (3, 10 Hz) artificial electric fields.Simple reaction time is a standard, uncomplicated measure of an organism's ability to organize a response to its environment and therefore appropriate for experimental studies with weak electromagnetic fields. 2Although the reported effects are small, they should be demonstrable independently of any contamination by sensitivity of the experimental method t o subject populations or changing methods of testing.'It should be feasible .to demonstrate a valid null hypothesis.F have occurred, as for instance in Friedman nique .From a previous experiment involv inserted their reaction time data in the c 2 .aws in experimental methods may s use of the counter balance techng 30 subjects, he selected 12 and unter balance experiment and collected additional data to complete the balanced conditions.Without random selection or complete rejection of the earlier data, a bias can be introduced.There is the possibility in both Konig's4 and Friedman's2 studies that the effects noted were not due to the different frequencies used but to the presence of the field.at different electromagnetic field frequencies, care was taken to assure that the RT effects observed actually arose from the different frequencies applied.In addition, procedures were adopted as controls for individual differences, as well as t o assure experiment sensitivity.These procedures are detailed below.In the present study of human reaction times (RT)