Systematic bias in representation of reaction time distribution

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Motor control
• Decision making

Background:

• Accurate self-perception is crucial for effective decision-making.
• A known bias in probability perception involves overestimating rare events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a similar bias exists for action outcomes in a simple reaction task.
• To determine the robustness of this bias in motor performance representation.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed a simple reaction task and judged the probability of responding within a reference time.
• Experiments involved assessing self and other's reaction times, numerical representations, and visually presented data.

Main Results:

• The represented probability distribution of reaction times was wider than the actual distribution.
• Low-probability events were overestimated, and high-probability events were underestimated.
• This bias was robust across different experimental conditions, including visual data presentation.

Conclusions:

• A robust bias exists in the representation of motor performance, mirroring general probability perception biases.
• This bias in overestimating rare events and underestimating common events is difficult to eliminate.