ERIC Number: EJ734725
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Sep
Pages: 16
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-7393
EISSN: N/A
Dissociation between Judgments and Outcome-Expectancy Measures in Covariation Learning: A Signal Detection Theory Approach
Perales, Jose C.; Catena, Andres; Shanks, David R.; Gonzalez, Jose A.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, v31 n5 p1105-1120 Sep 2005
A number of studies using trial-by-trial learning tasks have shown that judgments of covariation between a cue c and an outcome o deviate from normative metrics. Parameters based on trial-by-trial predictions were estimated from signal detection theory (SDT) in a standard causal learning task. Results showed that manipulations of P(c) when contingency ([delta]P) was held constant did not affect participants' ability to predict the appearance of the outcome (d') but had a significant effect on response criterion (c) and numerical causal judgments. The association between criterion c and judgment was further demonstrated in 2 experiments in which the criterion was directly manipulated by linking payoffs to the predictive responses made by learners. In all cases, the more liberal the criterion c was, the higher judgments were. The results imply that the mechanisms underlying the elaboration of judgments and those involved in the elaboration of predictive responses are partially dissociable.
Descriptors: Measures (Individuals), Learning, Cues, Criteria, Experiments, Responses, Evaluation Methods, Measurement Techniques, Predictive Measurement
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A