Information Storage and Neural Control 



INPUT RATE (BITS/SEC) 

 Fig. 4. Performance curves for Subjects A and B 



Two male college students were used as subjects in this study. 

 Before being tested, they were thoroughly trained in the procedure, 

 including the use of all the adjustment processes. 



The button-pushing performance of each subject was recorded 

 on a kymograph and was compared with the program of stimuli 

 presented. These raw data were fed into a computer programmed 

 to calculate the input (stimulus presentation) and output (subject's 

 response) rates in bits of information per second, using the Shannon 

 information statistic. 



Data obtained with this equipment (Fig. 4) produce a curv^e of 

 the same general shape as do data at the level of cell and organ when 

 input in bits per second is plotted against output in bits per second. 

 Within the range tested, there is some question as to whether the 

 output falls below channel capacity at high input rates, or whether 

 some cut-off mechanism prevents this from happening. It is prob- 



