Abstract
The effects of decision criterion on response latencies of binary decisions were examined. The stimuli comprised two, partly overlapping, “normal” distributions of either two-digit numbers or tonal frequencies. Individual stimuli were randomly sampled from the distributions, and subjects had to decide from which distribution the stimulus was sampled. The decision goal was to maximize the expected gain using three different payoff matrices. Decision latencies with and without prior knowledge of optimal decision criteria were measured. In a control task, subjects were asked only to label stimuli as being either above or below the optimal criteria (without regard for a posteriori probabilities or expected gain). The relation between criterion and latency was examined by means of a trial-by-trial analysis of the stimuli and the responses. Response latency was inversely related both to the distance between the stimulus and the decision criterion and to the probability of the response elicited by the stimulus. Response latencies showed a maximum at the criterion in all conditions. These results were obtained with different stimulus modalities (tones or numbers), different discriminability levels within the auditory modality, and ifferent decision tasks. It is proposed that the decision criterion is the primary determinant of response latencies of binary decisions.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Audley, R. J. (1960) A stochastic model for individual choice behaviour.Psychological Review,67, 1–15.
Bindra, D., Williams, J. A., &Wise, J. S. (1965). Judgments of sameness and differences: Experiments on decision time.Science,150, 1625–1627
Carterette, E. C., Freidman, M. P., &Cosmides, R. (1965). Reaction-time distributions in the detections of weak signals in noise.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America,37, 531–542.
Dorfman, D. D., &Alf, E. (1968). Maximum likelihood estimation of parameters of signal detection theory’ A direct solution.Psychometrika,33, 117–124.
Edwards, W. (1965). Optimal strategies for seeking information: Models for statistics, choice reaction times and human information processing.Journal of Mathematical Psychology,2, 312–329.
Emmerich, D. S., Gray, J. L., Watson, C. S., &Tants, D. C. (1972) Response latency, confidence, and ROCs in auditory signal detectionPerception & Psychophysics,11, 65–72.
Gescheider, G. A., Wright, J. H., &Evans, M. B. (1968). Reaction time in the detection of vibrotactile signals.Journal of Experimental Psychology,77, 501–504
Gescheider, G. A., Wright, J. H., Weber, B. J., Kirchner, B. H., &Milligan, E. A. (1969). Reaction times as a function of the intensity and probability of occurrence of vibrotactile signals.Perception & Psychophysics,5, 18–20
Green, D. M., &Swets, J. A. (1966).Signal detection theory and psychophysics. New York: Robert E. Krieger.
Kunovy, M., Rapoport, A., &Tversky, A. (1971). Deterministic versus probabilistic strategies in detectionPerception & Psychophysics,9, 427–429.
La Berge, D. (1962) A recruitment theory of simple behaviorPsychometrika,27, 375–396
Laming, D. R. J. (1968).Information theory and choice-reaction time. New York: Wiley.
Lee, W., &Janke, M. (1964). Categorizing externally distributed stimulus samples from three continua.Journal of Experimental Psychology,68, 376–382
Link, S. (1990). Modelling imageless thought; The relative judgment theory of numerical comparisons.Journal of Mathematical Psychology,34, 2–41
Lice, R. D. (1963). Detection and recognition. In R. D. Luce, R. R. Bush, & E. G. Galanter (Eds.),Handbook of mathematical psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 103–190) New York: Wiley
McGill, W. J. (1963). Stochastic latency mechanisms. In R. D. Luce, R. R. Bush, & E. G. Galanter (Eds.),Handbook of mathematical psychology (Vol. 1, pp 309-360). New York: Wiley.
McGill, W. J. (1967). Neural counting mechanisms and energy detection in audition.Journal of Mathematical Psychology,4, 351–376.
Mowbray, B. H., &Rhoades, M. V. (1959). On the reduction of choice reaction times with practice.Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,11, 16–23.
Navon, D. (1975) A simple method for latency analysis in signal detection tasks.Perception & Psychophysics,18, 61–64.
Nickerson, R. S. (1969) Same-different response times: A model and a preliminary test. In W. G. Köster (Ed),Attention and performance II (pp 257–275). London: North-Holland.
Norman, D. A., &Wickelcren, W. A. (1969), Strength theory of decision rules and latency in short-term memory.Journal of Mathematical Psychology,6, 192–208.
Pike, R. (1973). Response latency models for signal detection.Psychological Review,80, 53–68.
Ratcliff, R. (1985). Theoretical interpretations of the speed and accuracy of positive and negative responses.Psychological Review,92, 212–225.
Ratcliff, R. (1987). More on the speed and accuracy of positive and negative responsesPsychological Review,94, 277–280.
Ratcliff, R., &Hacker, M. J. (1981). Speed and accuracy of same and different responses m perceptual matching.Perception & Psychophysics,30, 303–307.
Sekuler, R. W. (1965). Signal detection, choice response times, and visual backward masking.Canadian Journal of Psychology,19, 118–132.
Smith, P. T. (1968). Cost, discriminability, and response bias.British Journal of Mathematical Statistical Psychology,21, 35–60
Stone, M. (1960). Models for choice-reaction time,Psychometnka,25, 251–260
Thomas, E. A. C. (1971). Sufficient conditions for monotone hazard rate: An application to latency-probability curvesJournal of Mathematical Psychology,8, 303–332.
Thomas, E. A. C., &Myebs, I. C. (1972). Implications of latency data for threshold and non-threshold models of signal detection.Journal of Mathematical Psychology,9, 253–285.
Vickers, D. (1979).Decision processes in visual perception New York Academic Press.
Vickers, D., Caudrey, D., &Willson, R. (1971) Discriminating between the frequency of occurrence of two alternating events.Acta Psychologica,35, 151–172.
Watson, C. S. (1962).Signal detection and certain physical characteristics of stimulus during the observation interval. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Indiana University, Bloomington
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by N1H Grant 03856 to the Central Institute for the Deaf. 8. Espinoza-Varas was supported by a Fulbright-Hays Grant. Preparation of this manuscript was supported by grants from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the National Institutes of Health to Indiana University, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, and the Presbyterian Health Foundation to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Accepted by previous editor, Charles W. Enksen
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Espinoza-Varas, B., Watson, C.S. Effects of decision criterion on response latencies of binary decisions. Perception & Psychophysics 55, 190–203 (1994). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03211666
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03211666