Evaluating perceptual integration: uniting response-time- and accuracy-based methodologies

Abstract

This investigation brings together a response-time system identification methodology (e.g., Townsend & Wenger Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 11, 391-418, 2004a) and an accuracy methodology, intended to assess models of integration across stimulus dimensions (features, modalities, etc.) that were proposed by Shaw and colleagues (e.g., Mulligan & Shaw Perception & Psychophysics 28, 471-478, 1980). The goal was to theoretically examine these separate strategies and to apply them conjointly to the same set of participants. The empirical phases were carried out within an extension of an established experimental design called the double factorial paradigm (e.g., Townsend & Nozawa Journal of Mathematical Psychology 39, 321-359, 1995). That paradigm, based on response times, permits assessments of architecture (parallel vs. serial processing), stopping rule (exhaustive vs. minimum time), and workload capacity, all within the same blocks of trials. The paradigm introduced by Shaw and colleagues uses a statistic formally analogous to that of the double factorial paradigm, but based on accuracy rather than response times. We demonstrate that the accuracy measure cannot discriminate between parallel and serial processing. Nonetheless, the class of models supported by the accuracy data possesses a suitable interpretation within the same set of models supported by the response-time data. The supported model, consistent across individuals, is parallel and has limited capacity, with the participants employing the appropriate stopping rule for the experimental setting.Keywords Response time . Accuracy . Parallel processing . Redundant targets . Interaction contrast . No probability response contrast . Integration . Coactivation . OR task . AND task How does the cognitive system combine information from separate sources? This question is central to basic human information processing and also possesses many potential applications, from clinical science to human factors and engineering. In the present study, we bring together two previously distinct approaches that can combine to provide strong converging evidence about some of the critical properties of human information processing. The approaches are applicable to the two primary measures of performance in psychological research, response accuracy and response times (hereafter, RTs), so when considered together they allow for strong inference regarding the mechanisms underlying cognitive performance. With regard to the measure of RT, we employed Townsend and Nozawa's (1995) systems factorial technology (hereafter, SFT) framework, and expanded it empirically as we will outline shortly. With regard to the measure of response accuracy, we built on the seminal efforts of Marilyn Shaw and colleagues (e

The channel capacity of visual awareness divided among multiple moving objects

“…1) The limited-capacity parallel-process models developed by Townsend and colleagues (e.g., Eidels et al, 2015;Townsend & Ashby, 1983;Townsend & Eidels, 2011;Townsend & Nozawa, 1995;Townsend & Wenger, 2004a, b) are directly supported by the present results. Wenger & Gibson (2004) found that attentional pre-cues produced a roughly one-third increase in hazard rates for targets in multi-element displays.…”

“…Townsend and colleagues have developed a theoretical framework for experimental methods (e.g., Eidels et al, 2015;Townsend & Nozawa, 1995;Townsend & Wenger, 2004a, b), statistical methods (Houpt & Townsend, 2012;Wenger & Gibson, 2004), and empirical support (Godwin et al, 2015;Wenger & Gibson, 2004) for evaluating efficiency and capacity by ratios of the integrated hazard functions for…”

Working memory’s workload capacity

“…This was particularly so for visual single blocks, and was more evident for the 50 % than for the 75 % group. An overall tendency for faster Btarget-present^than nontarget responses was observed, in accordance with other redundant-target studies (e.g., Eidels, Townsend, Hughes, & Perry, 2015), and these trends were similar in single and dual blocks. However, in contrast to dual blocks, in single blocks the relative disadvantage for nontargets in the 75 % group was larger, even though that group was faster overall.…”

Semiparametric Bayesian approaches to systems factorial technology

“…Then we apply this new approach to simulated data, and conclude by analyzing a data set published by Eidels, Townsend, Hughes, and Perry (2015).…”

“…In this section we apply the semiparametric Bayesian analysis to the dot detection data reported in Eidels et al (2015) and included in the R package ''sft'' (Houpt, Blaha, McIntire, Havig, & Townsend, 2013). In this experiment, nine observers were asked to detect a dot presented on a computer monitor by pressing a key.…”