DECISION LATENCIES OF 'SAME' AND 'DIFFERENT' JUDGMENTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR A FUNCTIONAL MODEL OF DECISION MAKING.
Abstract
When a subject is asked to judge whether two stimuli are 'same' or 'different,' the time he takes to reach the decision 'same' is frequently unequal to the time he takes to reach the decision 'different.' We studied this discrepancy as a function of four variables, stimulus modality, 'codability' vs. 'noncodability' of test stimuli, interstimulus interval, and discrimination difficulty. Results of four experiments performed on a total 123 subjucts showed codability to be the most important factor. Stimuli that are codable (i.e., which can be identified by absolute judgment) yield a shorter latency for judgment 'same,' and noncodable stimuli (i.e., those requiring relational judgment for identification) yield a shorter latency for judgment 'different.' It is argued that codable stimuli can be compared by subitizing, and subitizing of identical stimuli is faster than that of dissimilar stimuli; hence latency for 'same' is shorter. Comparison of noncodable stimuli requires estimating, and an estimate of 'same' inherently requires more time than an estimate of 'different'; hence latency for 'same' is longer. A model derived from decision theory is used to make specific predictions about error latencies in same-different judgment tasks of varying discrimination difficulty. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0807048
Entities
People
- Dalbir Bindra
- Don C. Donderi
- Shizuhiko Nishisato
Organizations
- McGill University