SAME-DIFFERENT RESPONSE TIMES - A MODEL AND A PRELIMINARY TEST

Based on previous work by STONE (1960), MCGILL (1963), SEKULER (1965), and BINDRA, WILLIAMS and WISE (1965), a model is presented for predicting the results to be expected when subjects are required to decide whether two sucessively presented stimuli are the same or different. The model assumes a 'counter' for cumulating 'difference' information, and a 'clock' for keeping time. The subject sets both a count criterion and a time criterion in accordance with stinulus and payoff parameters. The decision rule is: if the count criterion is exceeded before the time criterion, decide 'different', otherwise decide 'same'. The results of a preliminary experiment are presented in which an attempt was made to test some of the model's implications with respect to the relationships between response times associated with correct and incorrect 'same' and 'different' decisions. © 1969.