Distribution inequalities for parallel models of reaction time with an application to auditory profile analysis

Inequalities on reaction time distribution functions for parallel models with an unlimited capacity assumption are presented, extending previous work on first-terminating and exhaustive stopping rules to second-terminating processes. This extension thus generates transitions between first-terminating and exhaustive models that might be of interest in situations in which observers behave as if collecting more evidence before a decision is made. Moreover, a generalization of the inequalities is derived and tested in an auditory profile analysis task in which subjects have to decide whether two multitone complexes are of the same or of different spectral shape. (C) 1997 Academic Press.