Information Transmission in a Pattern Discrimination Task as a Function of Initial Task Difficulty

1965 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 927-939
Author(s):  
John Coules ◽  
Donald L. Avery ◽  
Alan Meskil
Keyword(s):  
Information Transmission ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Pattern Discrimination ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Learning Effects ◽  
Stimulus Uncertainty ◽  
Initial Task

Information transmission measures were obtained with the method of absolute judgments and learning effects were evaluated as the nature of the discrimination task varied. Two experiments were conducted using regular and irregular geometric forms which were tilted in various degrees from the line of sight. In Exp. I, the judgment task increased in difficulty from large to fine differences in tilt, whereas in Exp. II the discrimination task was difficult throughout the experiment. In both experiments the task increased in difficulty because stimulus uncertainty increased. Results showed that when the demands of the task are such that early and sustained high performance is required, it is better if the observers are presented with the difficult task from the start rather than gradually increase its difficulty. Geometric forms showed significant differences in the amount of information transmitted.

Decisional Difficulty in Pattern Discrimination

1978 ◽  
Vol 47 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1191-1194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel C. Fulkerson ◽  
Paul S. Mann
Keyword(s):  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Pattern Discrimination ◽  
Relative Influence ◽  
Response Uncertainty ◽  
Uncertainty Condition ◽  
Black And White ◽  
High Uncertainty

To assess the relative influence of decisional ambiguity and response uncertainty on task difficulty, a pattern discrimination task was presented to 60 college undergraduates. The comparison stimuli were nine 20 × 20 matrices of randomly assigned black and white squares, with percent of black squares varying evenly from 10% to 90%. The standard contained 50% black squares. In a low-response uncertainty condition there were two response categories, and five in a high uncertainty condition. It was hypothesized that decisional ambiguity should be greatest at the boundaries between categories. The results suggested that decisional ambiguity was the critical factor determining judgment difficulty.

Effect of a Mid-Series Anchor on Absolute Judgments of Duration by Schizophrenics, Neurologically Impaired, and Normals

1975 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 671-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan A. Locke
Keyword(s):  
Information Transmission ◽  
Interstimulus Interval ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Absolute Judgment ◽  
Auditory Stimuli ◽  
Experimental Task ◽  
Neurologically Impaired ◽  
The Absolute

36 normal, 36 schizophrenic, and 36 neurologically impaired Ss were compared for their ability to temporally discriminate brief auditory stimuli. The experimental task was the absolute judgment of 3, 5, or 9 stimuli ranging in duration from 0.10 to 1.90 sec. Half of the Ss in each group were “assisted” by the presentation of a repeated mid-series anchor. The interval between the presentation of the anchor and the variable stimuli was varied. With the addition of a mid-series anchor, normal Ss demonstrated an increase in information transmission and a decrease in response stereotypy; schizophrenics demonstrated a slight decrease in information transmission and a slight increase in response stereotypy; neurologically impaired Ss were essentially unaffected. Changes in interstimulus interval on the anchored judgment task did not influence information transmission.

Pattern Discrimination Learning with Rhesus Monkeys

1966 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 311-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra R. Blehert
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Learning ◽  
Mathematical Description ◽  
Rhesus Monkeys ◽  
Stimulus Pattern ◽  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Pattern Discrimination ◽  
Individual Learning ◽  
Group Data

Rhesus monkeys were trained to criterion on a 2-stimulus and a 5-stimulus pattern discrimination task. The probabilities of response to the various stimuli throughout learning are examined for individual Ss, and it is found that Ss exhibit consistency in the order and manner in which incorrect stimuli are eliminated. This suggests a simple mathematical description of the process, which is used to deepen the analysis of the data, permitting estimation of individual learning parameters and construction of more meaningful summaries of the group data.

Training Procedures and Task Difficulty in Brightness and Position Discriminations by Rats

1972 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Allison
Keyword(s):  
Single Unit ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Training Procedure ◽  
Position Task ◽  
And Task

This research concerned training procedures (correction vs noncorrection), type of discrimination task (position vs brightness), and task difficulty in two 2 × 3 experiments using rats in single-unit mazes. An interaction was found between type of training procedure and task difficulty for the brightness task, with noncorrection Ss requiring relatively fewer trials to reach a criterion than correction Ss as the task became more difficult. A statistically insignificant interaction was found for the position task.

Criterion of Learning and Task Difficulty as Determinants of Mediated-Shift Learning Speed

1976 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 875-879
Author(s):  
J. Sweller
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Verbal Discrimination ◽  
Initial Training ◽  
Easy Task ◽  
Shift Task ◽  
Learning Speed ◽  
Initial Task ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
And Task

University students were given rule-related or non-rule-related shifts after one of four levels of initial training on a nondimensional verbal discrimination using CVC stimuli. Both a difficult and an easy task were used. The results indicated: (1) the effects of the initial tasks on the shift tasks were detected with greater sensitivity using lower criteria on the shift task; (2) where mediated-shift learning occurred, there was a relation between criterion level for the initial task and task difficulty such that lower criteria on the easy task were equivalent to higher criteria on the difficult task.

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