Divided attention performance and the matching law |
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Authors: | Timothy A Shahan Christopher A Podlesnik |
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Institution: | Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA. tim.shahan@usu.edu |
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Abstract: | This experiment examined the applicability of the generalized matching law to changes in divided-attention performance produced
by variations in relative reinforcement rate. Pigeons were exposed to a delayed matching-to-sample procedure in which compound
samples (color 1 line orientation) and element comparisons (two colors or two line orientations) were used. The relative rate
of reinforcement for accurate matches on the two types of comparison trials was varied. Variations in relative accuracy with
changes in relative reinforcement were well described by the generalized matching law. We suggest that the bias and sensitivity
parameters of the generalized matching law may measure the contributions of sensory activation and stimulus pertinence, respectively,
to divided-attention performance. Additional work using similar analyses might contribute to a more general quantitative account
of how differential consequences contribute to decision processes involved in the allocation of attention. |
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