Go-stimuli probability influences response bias in the sustained attention to response task: a signal detection theory perspective

Bedi, Aman; Russell, Paul N.; Helton, William S.

doi:10.1007/s00426-022-01679-7

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Similarly, as mentioned earlier, the SART shows time-on-task performance decrements: false alarms and response time variability increase across time. However, it has been argued that the SART is not a measure of vigilance (or even sustained attention), but rather measures speed/accuracy tradeoffs and manual response inhibition, a tendency toward speed, liberal responding, and error proneness (Bedi et al, 2023; Carter et al, 2013; Dang et al, 2018; Helton, 2009; Helton et al, 2011; Stevenson et al, 2011). Therefore, future work will need to extend the present findings to other tasks that also produce robust time-on-task decrements (e.g., SART, n -back, perceptual discrimination) to see if similar designs can offset/eliminate decrements in those tasks, as well.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition and reward structures nearly eliminate time-on-task performance decrements: Implications for theories of vigilance and mental effort.

Robison

Nguyen

2023

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Perfor

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Across four experiments, we manipulated features of a simple reaction time (RT) task to examine the effects of such features on sustained attention. In Experiment 1, we created simple RT "game" that pitted participants against two computerized avatars. In one condition, participants were awarded points, while the other condition did not receive points. Performance in the two conditions did not differ, but both conditions showed shorter RTs and shallower time-on-task performance decrements compared to a standard psychomotor vigilance task. In Experiment 2, we removed the competitive feature but retained the point system. In this case, participants without a point system showed a steeper performance decrement than those with a point system. Experiments 3 and 4 replicated these effects and corroborated their findings with pupillometry. Participants in both conditions of Experiment 3 (competitive task) and the points condition of Experiment 4 showed larger task-evoked pupillary responses than participants in the no-points condition of Experiment 4. These findings challenge the notion that time-on-task performance decrements are caused by resource depletion (Smit et al., 2004) and are better explained by motivational control (Hockey, 2011) or cost-benefit theories (Boksem & Tops, 2008;Kurzban et al., 2013) of mental effort and sustained attention. Public Significance StatementWhether it be taking an exam, listening to a presentation, or long-distance driving, our attention can start to wane over time, which can have trivial (e.g., tuning out the presenter), but sometimes disastrous consequences (e.g., vehicle accidents). Therefore, it is crucial to understand precisely why this effect occurs. In the present study, we examine whether people would differentially sustain their attention given a task's structure. Competition and points-based rewards nearly eliminated the time-on-task performance decrement. Collectively, the results indicate that sustained attention is a matter of willingness rather than capability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition and reward structures nearly eliminate time-on-task performance decrements: Implications for theories of vigilance and mental effort.

Robison

Nguyen

2023

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Perfor

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“…According to Miller and Ulrich (2013) , reliability is predicted to increase with individual differences in person-specific processing time and individual differences evoked by task demands, but to decrease with increasing residual time and measurement error. Likely, exceptional reliability was obtained because mental arithmetic enables diversification of individual items: it is possible to use a great number of different individual items, preventing practice effects, and it allows for a finely graduated variegation of item difficulty (e.g., problem size ranging from 3–19), which mitigates mindlessness ( Sanabria et al, 2011 ; Bedi et al, 2022 ) or other kinds of unfocused rhythmic responding ( Steinborn and Langner, 2011 , 2012 ; Schmidt, 2017 ; Braem et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On doing multi-act arithmetic: A multitrait-multimethod approach of performance dimensions in integrated multitasking

et al. 2022

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Here we present a systematic plan to the experimental study of test–retest reliability in the multitasking domain, adopting the multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) approach to evaluate the psychometric properties of performance in Düker-type speeded multiple-act mental arithmetic. These form of tasks capacitate the experimental analysis of integrated multi-step processing by combining multiple mental operations in flexible ways in the service of the overarching goal of completing the task. A particular focus was on scoring methodology, particularly measures of response speed variability. To this end, we present data of two experiments with regard to (a) test–retest reliability, (b) between-measures correlational structure, (c) and stability (test–retest practice effects). Finally, we compared participants with high versus low performance variability to assess ability-related differences in measurement precision (typically used as proxy to “simulate” patient populations), which is especially relevant in the applied fields of clinical neuropsychology. The participants performed two classic integrated multi-act arithmetic tasks, combining addition and verification (Exp. 1) and addition and comparison (Exp. 2). The results revealed excellent test–retest reliability for the standard and the variability measures. The analysis of between-measures correlational structure revealed the typical pattern of convergent and discriminant relationships, and also, that absolute response speed variability was highly correlated with average speed (r > 0.85), indicating that these measures mainly deliver redundant information. In contrast, speed-adjusted (relativized) variability revealed discriminant validity being correlated to a much lesser degree with average speed, indicating that this measure delivers additional information not already provided by the speed measure. Furthermore, speed-adjusted variability was virtually unaffected by test–retest practice, which makes this measure interesting in situations with repeated testing.

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“…Signal Detection Measures. Signal Detection Theory measures were obtained following the paradigm used by Bedi et al (2021). Sensitivity (d') was the only measure examined that showed an increase followed by a decrease as a function of distance as shown in Figure 14.…”

Section: Composite Performance Metricsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Alternatively, Head and Helton (2013) provide support for a second theory of commission errors, based on response strategy (see also Peebles and Bothell, 2004) in which participants make the choice to prioritize either speed or accuracy. More recently, Bedi et al (2021) suggest the high commission error rate in the SART may reflect a lenient response criteria shift (in Signal Detection Theory terms, β or c) simply due to the high probability of Go stimuli.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prolonging the Response Movement Reduces Commission Errors in a High-Go, Low-No-Go Target Detection Task and Composite Metrics of Performance Miss This Effect

et al. 2022

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Objective Expand research on the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) to a more applied agricultural target detection/selection task and examine the utility of various performance metrics, including composite measures of speed and accuracy, in a High-Go/Low-No-Go stimuli task. Background Modified SARTs have been utilized to investigate mechanisms, such as failures of response inhibition, occurring in friendly fire and collateral damage incidents. Researchers have demonstrated that composite measures of speed and accuracy are useful for Low Go/High No-Go stimuli tasks, but this has not been demonstrated for High-Go/Low-No-Go tasks, such as the SART. Method Participants performed a modified SART, where they selected (“sprayed”) images of weeds (Go stimuli) that appeared on a computer screen, while withholding to rarer soybean plant images (No-Go stimuli). Results Response time was a function of distance from a central starting point. Participants committed commission errors (sprayed the soybeans) at a significantly higher rate when the stimuli appeared under the cursor centered on the screen for each trial. Participant’s omission errors (failure to spray a weed) increased significantly as a function of distance. The composite measures examined were primarily influenced by response time and omission errors limiting their utility when commission errors are of particular interest. Conclusion Participants are far more accurate in their decision making when required to execute a longer duration motor task in High-Go/Low-No-Go experiments. Application Demonstrates a serious human factors liability of target detection and snap-to-target systems.

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Go-stimuli probability influences response bias in the sustained attention to response task: a signal detection theory perspective

Cited by 16 publications

References 53 publications

Competition and reward structures nearly eliminate time-on-task performance decrements: Implications for theories of vigilance and mental effort.

Competition and reward structures nearly eliminate time-on-task performance decrements: Implications for theories of vigilance and mental effort.

On doing multi-act arithmetic: A multitrait-multimethod approach of performance dimensions in integrated multitasking

Prolonging the Response Movement Reduces Commission Errors in a High-Go, Low-No-Go Target Detection Task and Composite Metrics of Performance Miss This Effect

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