Principlev1
Measure time-to-activation as a core performance metric —
Measure time-to-activation as a core performance metric — speed of response often determines whether a correct response is useful.
Why This Is a Principle
This principle derives from Subcortical Fast-Pathway Threat Processing (fast subcortical threat processing), Automaticity Without Conscious Control (automatic processes operate without deliberation), and As response speed increases, accuracy decreases along a (speed-accuracy tradeoff). Donders' mental chronometry and the critical window concept ground this — the principle prescribes latency measurement because cognitive operations consume measurable time, and that time determines utility in many domains.