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Erroneous knowledge of results affects decision and memory processes on timing tasks
Lawrence J Ryan1, Matthew S Fritz
1Department of Psychology, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-5303, USA. lryan@orst.edu
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
|December 19, 2007
Summary
Erroneous knowledge of results (KR) on mental timing tasks impacts performance and accuracy judgments. This feedback alters cognitive processes differently across tasks, affecting decision thresholds and memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Performance
Background:
- Erroneous knowledge of results (KR) on mental timing tasks leads to performance errors despite subjective accuracy.
- Understanding how KR influences cognitive processes is crucial for learning and skill acquisition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific cognitive processes altered by erroneous knowledge of results (KR) in mental timing tasks.
- To differentiate the effects of KR on production versus reproduction timing tasks.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the start-stop technique for both reproduction and production timing tasks.
- Analyzed the impact of erroneous KR on decision thresholds and response durations.
Main Results:
- Erroneous KR lowers decision thresholds, providing guidance and altering response durations based on feedback error magnitude.
- On production tasks, KR shifts reference memory; on reproduction tasks, it alters decision thresholds.
Conclusions:
- The cognitive effects of erroneous KR are task- and context-dependent.
- Learned strategies from reproduction tasks transfer to production tasks, but not vice versa, supporting distinct cognitive alterations.
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