Binary-Classification Reaction Time: A Review of Some Studies of Human Information-Processing Capabilities,
Abstract
The paper reviews some recent binary-classification experiments in which the primary performance measure was response time. The defining property of a classification task is that the number of admissible stimuli is greater than the number of response alternatives; stimuli are mapped onto responses in a many-to-one fashion. For a binary-classification task, the number of response alternatives is two. Two types of binary-classification tasks are discussed: character-classification, or 'memory-scanning,' tasks, and tasks involving 'same'-'different' judgments. 'Same'-'different' judgments are viewed as binary classifications inasmuch as the number of response alternatives is limited to two, whereas the number of stimulus alternatives typically is not. The theoretical thread that links the studies reviewed is the distinction between serial and parallel modes of processing information. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0721199
Entities
People
- Raymond S. Nickerson
Organizations
- BBN Technologies