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Partial information or facilitation? Different interpretations of results from speed-accuracy decomposition
1Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
Perception & Psychophysics
|October 1, 1991
Summary
The speed-accuracy decomposition technique may overestimate information processing speed. Response signals might speed up processes, leading to inaccurate conclusions about cognitive timing, even with pure guesses.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Information Processing
Background:
- The speed-accuracy decomposition technique estimates information processing time by analyzing accuracy of guesses prompted by response signals.
- Prior studies suggested 'sophisticated guesses' based on partial information, as accuracy increased with guessing time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an alternative interpretation of data from the speed-accuracy decomposition technique.
- To challenge the assumption of temporal independence in this method.
Main Methods:
- Monte Carlo simulations to model effects of response signals.
- An experiment to compare 'sophisticated guess' and 'pure guess' models.
Main Results:
- Response signals may facilitate regular cognitive processes, violating the technique's temporal-independence assumption.
- Simulations showed response signals can explain decomposition results, even with pure guesses.
- Experimental results supported the pure-guess model over the sophisticated-guess interpretation.
Conclusions:
- The speed-accuracy decomposition technique's estimations of information processing time may be flawed.
- Caution is advised when inferring cognitive timing from guessing accuracy using this method.