Abstract
In the detection task characterized by deferred decision, the observer is allowed to determine how many observations he will make before deciding whether or not a signal is present, and he is called upon to balance the goals of maximizing accuracy and conserving time. The human observer appears capable of using the optimal process of cumulating sensory information over successive observations, but certain common training procedures lead him to use a less efficient process. Though he displays a consistent decision bias, his performance is also in good agreement with the optimal model of the process of terminating a sequence of observations.
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Dr. David M. Green advised us through all phases of this project. John B. Brown designed the laboratory apparatus; Paul F. Coughlin constructed and maintained it. Linda S. McElroy, Donna L. Darley, and Curt Freed programmed the PDP-8 computer to control the experimental procedure and to provide summaries of data. Mrs. McElroy collected the data and performed analyses of them, with the assistance of Joshua Coran and Susan Levin. Dr. Joseph Markowitz contributed to the analysis and evaluation of the results. Dr. Trieve Tanner, contract monitor, facilitated our work in several ways. None of these persons is responsible for the outcome; however, their contributions were highly capable and essential, and these contributions are gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by the Human Performance Branch of the NASA-Ames Research Center.
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Swets, J.A., Birdsall, T.G. Deferred decision in human signal detection: A preliminary experiment. Perception & Psychophysics 2, 15–28 (1967). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210060
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03210060