Speed/accuracy tradeoff Negative relationship between RT and accuracy the faster you go (RT), the worse your performance (accuracy) when you go really fast, performance at worst worst performance = guessing or chance

Guessing or chance performance Just by chance, you get the right answer sometimes on a multiple-choice test, with four alternatives per question, one-quarter chance of getting answer right e.g., with 60 m-c questions, guessing gets you 15 correct (1/4)

Slowing down on a task Slower you go, the more accurate you get maximum = “ceiling” or asymptote (flattens out)

Interpreting SAT Individuals with fast RTs, accuracy may decline due to SAT individuals with slow RTs, accuracy may increase due to SAT

Speed/Accuracy Tradeoff Asymptote

Verbal report Listening to what people are saying goes on in their heads when doing a task done while a person is doing a task verbal report = what is said (the words) assumption = people already, normally, have thoughts going on while doing a task

Verbal reports (cont.) Called “protocol” = transcript of what a person said out loud while doing a task also known as “think aloud” technique a “window” into mental structures, processes, and representations thoughts in the protocol represent the mental processes during the task

Thought is the outcome or end-result of a mental process e.g., reading an overhead, think-aloud might produce “click” as your verbal report, which represents the output of having perceived and read the word “click”

Measuring RT Typical device is the computer e.g., how long to press a key or how long to speak (vocal response) or how long to make any physical response (manual [hand] responses or foot responses)

Measuring RT (cont.) Use a stopwatch (seconds or minutes) compare to computer (milliseconds) or, give a fixed period of time and see how far they get --> see how much is done in that period of time (response-deadline method)

Measuring accuracy Typically, done on a computer or keep a record, then go back and compute accuracy easy approach = count number of correct responses (paper-and-pencil)

Measuring verbal reports Typically use cassette recorder and microphone to record the verbal report then, transcribe (to paper) and analyze the transcripts