A TECHNIQUE FOR OBTAINING NON-DICHOTOMOUS MEASURES OF SHORT-TERM MEMORY
Abstract
Performance measures in short-term memory (STM) generally use dichotomous scores as indicants of a process which is assumed to be continuously distributed. The purpose of this paper is to describe a technique for measuring STM which is not based upon dichotomous scoring criteria. The conceptual framework of this technique is derived from current theoretical developments in the measurement of subjective (personal or intuitive) probabilities. An STM feasibility study was conducted to assess this approach. Performance measures were obtained using a device that produced response vectors. These response vectors were transformed into equivalent dichotomous scores and uncertainty measures. The derived dichotomous data were compared to data obtained from equivalent, dichotomously scored studies. This comparison showed no deleterious effects on recall when this response mode was used. The uncertainty measures showed welldefined evidence of the effects of proactive inhibition in this task. Confidence judgments were derived from the response vectors. These derived confidence judgments were found to be at least as good, in terms of realism of confidence measures, as several existing techniques for obtaining confidence judgments directly.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0610860
Entities
People
- James D. Baker