Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The variance reaction time model.

Sverker Sikström1

  • 1Lund University Cognitive Science (LUCS), Kungshuset, Lundagård, Lund University S-222 22 Lund, Sweden. sverker@psych.utoronto.ca

Cognitive Psychology
|April 22, 2004
PubMed
Summary

The variance reaction time model (VRTM) explains recognition memory data using a neural network. This model accurately predicts reaction times, the mirror effect, and ROC curves for various item frequencies and list lengths.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Selection Bias in Psychedelic Research: Comparing Self-Reported Quality-Of-Life Impact Between Enthusiasts and a General Population Sample.

Journal of psychoactive drugs·2026
Same author

Perceptual discrepancies in the experience and reporting of violence against children are more pronounced among social workers compared to laypeople.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Generative AI-assisted clinical interviewing of mental health.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Question-based computational language approach outperform ratings scale in discriminating between anxiety and depression.

Journal of anxiety disorders·2025
Same author

The rise of artificial intelligence for cognitive behavioral therapy: A bibliometric overview.

Applied psychology. Health and well-being·2025
Same author

AI-driven analyzes of open-ended responses to assess outcomes of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) in adolescents with anxiety and depression comorbidity.

Journal of affective disorders·2025

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Recognition memory research often relies on reaction time (RT) data.
  • Existing models struggle to simultaneously explain phenomena like the mirror effect and ROC curves.
  • A unified theoretical framework is needed to account for diverse recognition memory findings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose the variance reaction time model (VRTM) as a unified theory for recognition memory.
  • To demonstrate VRTM's ability to account for reaction time, mirror effect, and ROC curves.
  • To provide a neural network-based explanation for memory retrieval processes.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a two-layer neural network model (VRTM) with item and context layers.
  • Modeled recognition decisions using a random walk of activated nodes.
  • Incorporated item frequency and list length influencing node input variability.
  • Utilized a non-linear activation function with a variable threshold.

Main Results:

  • VRTM accurately predicts the mirror effect for high and low frequency words.
  • The model generates appropriate receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves for old/new and frequency-based item distinctions.
  • VRTM accounts for list-length effects and predicts accurate reaction time distributions and speed-accuracy tradeoffs.

Conclusions:

  • The variance reaction time model (VRTM) offers a parsimonious explanation for key recognition memory phenomena.
  • VRTM's neural network architecture and assumptions provide a plausible mechanism for memory retrieval.
  • The model's mathematical tractability and simulation capabilities facilitate empirical testing and application.

Related Experiment Videos