Abstract
Models of the visual perceptual matching process are evaluated in two experiments in which the relative speeds of “same” and “different” responses were manipulated. In the first experiment, subjects were tested under two bias conditions: they were instructed to respond “same” only when sure or to respond “different” only when sure. Such bias is found to have a very large effect on the speed and accuracy of “same” and “different” responses, changing “same” responses from being faster than “different” responses (the usual result) in the sure “different” condition to being slower in the sure “same” condition. In the second experiment, the relative speed of “same” responses was slowed significantly by the addition of difficult “different” judgments. These results are used to argue against models that contain an identity matcher and against models that have separate components to account for errors and reaction time. We also point out that, although it is well known that the relative speeds of positive and negative responses are subject to bias manipulations, this fact has been ignored by many researchers in developing models in which the reaction time difference between positive and negative responses is used as a measure of a stage of processing.
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This research was partially supported by NSF Grant BNS 79-21028 to W. K. Estes and NICHD Grant HD 13318 to Gall McKoon and Roger Ratcliff. Michael Hacker was supported by NIMH Training Grant 15125. This paper was prepared while Roger Ratcliff was a visiting assistant professor at Rockefeller University, enjoying the hospitality and stimulation of W. K. Estes’ Lab.
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Ratcliff, R., Hacker, M.J. Speed and accuracy of same and different responses in perceptual matching. Perception & Psychophysics 30, 303–307 (1981). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03214286
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03214286