The relative importance of perceptual and memory sampling processes in determining the time course of absolute identification

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Guest, D. ORCID: 0000-0003-4514-9186, Kent, C. and Adelman, J.S., 2018. The relative importance of perceptual and memory sampling processes in determining the time course of absolute identification. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 44 (4), pp. 615-630. ISSN 0278-7393

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000438

Abstract

In absolute identification, the EGCM–RT (Kent & Lamberts, 2005, 2016) proposes that perceptual processing determines systematic response time (RT) variability; all
other models of RT emphasise response selection rocesses. In the EGCM-RT the bow effect in RTs (longer responses for stimuli in the middle of the range) occurs because these middle stimuli are less isolated and so as perceptual information is accumulated, the evidence supporting a correct response grows more slowly than for
stimuli at the ends of the range. More perceptual information is therefore accumulated in order to increase certainty in response for middle stimuli, lengthening RT.
According to the model reducing perceptual sampling time should reduce the size of the bow effect in RT. We tested this hypothesis in two pitch identification experiments. Experiment 1 found no effect of stimulus duration on the size of the RT bow. Experiment 2 used multiple short stimulus durations as well as manipulating set size and stimulus spacing. Contrary to EGCM-RT predictions, the bow effect on RTs was large for even very short durations. A new version of the EGCM-RT could only
capture this, alongside the effect of stimulus duration on accuracy, by including both a perceptual and a memory sampling process. A modified version of the SAMBA
model (Brown, Marley, Donkin, & Heathcote, 2008) could also capture the data, by assuming psychophysical noise diminishes with increased exposure duration. This
modelling suggests systematic variability in RT in absolute identification is largely determined by memory sampling and response selection processes.

Item Type:

Journal article

Alternative Title:

Perceptual and memory sampling in absolute identification [working title]

Publication Title:

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition

Creators:

Guest, D., Kent, C. and Adelman, J.S.

Publisher:

American Psychological Association

Date:

2018