A signal detection theoretic approach for estimating metacognitive sensitivity from confidence ratings

Medial and Lateral Networks in Anterior Prefrontal Cortex Support Metacognitive Ability for Memory and Perception

“…A model-based SDT approach to account for variance in primary task performance in the computation of type II sensitivity has recently been described and validated McCurdy et al, 2013). This method has been discussed at length previously (Rounis et al, 2010;Maniscalco and Lau, 2012). Briefly, the approach exploits the link between type I and type II SDT models to express observed type II sensitivity at the level of the type I SDT model (termed meta dЈ).…”

“…In contrast, medial aPFC has been widely implicated in metacognitive assessments of memory retrieval, particularly for prospective "feeling-of-knowing" judgments (e.g., Schnyer et al, 2005), but also for retrospective confidence ratings (e.g., Moritz et al, 2006;Modirrousta and Fellows, 2008;Chua et al, 2009), and "reality monitoring" tasks (distinguishing whether a memory was internally or externally generated) (Simons et al, , 2008. Furthermore, a recent study (McCurdy et al, 2013) found that gray matter volume in neuroanatomically distinct regions of the lateral aPFC and precuneus covaried with metacognitive ability for perception and memory, respectively. Together, these results raise the possibility that there could be distinct networks for metacognition of memory and perception.…”

The Anatomy of Non-conscious Recognition Memory

“…Notably, the link between oldnew discriminations and confidence judgments is not straightforward. Each cannot be assumed to depend on the same underlying source of information because nonconscious recognition can occur with null perceptual and mnemonic sensitivity to the retrieval cues (i.e., perceptual and mnemonic d'=chance), but be evinced by significant meta-d' [2], a recently developed measure of the signal available to perform metacognitive discrimination (i.e., how well observer's confidence ratings distinguish between correct and incorrect memory and perceptual judgments) [16].…”

Theories and methods in the scientific study of consciousness

“…Other studies have taken a different approach in which the report of a participant is accompanied by a confidence rating or wager on the correctness of the response (Galvin, Podd, Drga, & Whitmore, 2003;Kolb & Braun, 1995;Kornbrot, 2006;Kunimoto, Miller, & Pashler, 2001;Maniscalco & Lau, 2012;Persaud, McLeod, & Cowey, 2007). These studies have utilized the logic that if subjects are aware of a stimulus then there should be a good correlation between their objective performance and their (trial-by-trial) confidence in whether their decision was correct.…”

“…Conversely if blindsight patients are truly unaware of the visual stimulus then they should show little correlation between their performance on a detection/discrimination task and their confidence about their decision. Applications of signal detection theory to confidence judgments have allowed researchers to generate separate sensitivity measures for the primary task (Type-I sensitivity) and the ability of subjects to judge the correctness of their responses (Type-II sensitivity) (Galvin et al, 2003;Maniscalco & Lau, 2012). This measure of sensitivity has been suggested to capture the 'meta-cognitive' abilities of subjects, that is, the ability to make a judgment about one's own awareness.…”