Retention of a time pressure heuristic in a target identification task

S. Rice and D. Keller (2009) previously reported that participants who were put under time pressure tended to comply more with a diagnostic aid than participants who were not put under time pressure. The present study investigates whether or not learning the benefits of this time pressure heuristic carries over to a second session. Seventy-two New Mexico State University students performed a simulated target-detection task, assisted by a 95% reliable diagnostic aid. Participants were exposed to the following conditions, which were composed of two sessions: speeded-speeded, unspeeded-speeded, speeded-unspeeded, or unspeeded-unspeeded. Results showed that participants who completed the speeded condition for Session 1 performed just as well in the 2nd session regardless of whether or not they were put under time pressure. Participants found that complying with the aid was beneficial to overall performance and continued to comply in a 2nd session even when allowed more time to overrule the aid.