OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS, SIGNAL DETECTABILITY, AND THE METHOD OF FREE RESPONSE
Abstract
This paper is concerned with an experimental analysis of the following problem in signal dectection. A weak signal of brief duration is presented a number of times in a long observational interval. The temporal intervals between the presentations of the tones are randomly selected, and the listener is not given any information as regards the distribution of these random intervals. As a consequence, the listener does not know when a tone will occur, and he does not know how many tones will be presented to him for detection during the long observational interval. Only one response-key is provided for the listener, and he is instructed to press this yes-key just once each time he hears a tone. In order to give further structure to this free-responding situation, the listener is also instructed to adopt an arbitrary, but fixed, criterion according to which he can decide whether or not a tone has been presented. As here described, this entire procedure will be termed the method of free response. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 15, 1959
- Accession Number
- AD0251006
Entities
People
- Arthur I. Schulman
- Gordon Z. Greenberg
- James P. Egan
Organizations
- Indiana University Bloomington