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Will the real resource theory please stand up! Vigilance is a renewable resource and should be modeled as such

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Abstract

The vigilance decrement or decline in signal detection performance with time on task is one of the most reliable findings in the cognitive neuroscience and psychology literatures. The majority of theories proposed to explain the decrement are limited cognitive or attention resource based theories; the central nervous system is a limited capacity processor. The decrement in performance is then due to resource reallocation (or misallocation), resource depletion or some combination of both mechanisms. The role of resource depletion, in particular, is hotly debated. However, this may be due to a lack of understanding of the renewable nature of the vigilance resources and how this renewal process impacts performance during vigilance tasks. In the present paper, a simple quantitative model of vigilance resource depletion and renewal is described and shown to generate performance data similar to results seen in both humans and spiders. This model clarifies the role resource depletion and resource renewal may play in vigilance in both people and other animals.

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Data availability

The model and generated data from the model are available from the corresponding author WH on request.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Correspondence to William S. Helton.

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All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Communicated by Bill J Yates.

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Appendix

Appendix

Python code for simulation (Note: This code would have to be reformatted with proper indents to run.)

from tkinter import *

import random

def sim_for_one(pid, outfile, α, β, θ, target_probability, target_strength, non_target_strength, vigilance_seed, stimuli_total_count):

v = vigilance_seed

# Iterate through stimuli, generating one row per iteration

hits = 0

false_alarms = 0

for i in range(stimuli_total_count):

random_target = random.random()

random_rest = random.random()

target = random_target <= target_probability

rest = random_rest <= θ/v

outstr = “” + str(pid) + “\t” + str(random_target) + “\t” + str(target) + “\t” + str(random_rest) + “\t” + str(rest) + “\t”

if target:

C = target_strength

else:

C = non_target_strength

if rest:

v = v+β*(1-v)

else:

v = v-α*v

v = max(min(v, 1), 0)

outstr = outstr + str(C) + “\t” + str(v) + “\t”

if rest:

response_likelihood = 0

else:

response_likelihood = v*C

rDetect = random.random()

if rDetect <= response_likelihood:

response = 1

else:

response = 0

if target:

hit = response

false_alarm = 0

hits += hit

else:

hit = 0

false_alarm = response

false_alarms += false_alarm

outstr += str(rDetect) + “\t” + str(response) + “\t” + str(hit) + “\t” + str(false_alarm) + “\n”

outfile.write(outstr)

return(hits, false_alarms)

def simulate_vigilance():

# Get user defined values

α = float(alpha_text.get())

β = float(beta_text.get())

θ = float(theta_text.get())

target_probability = float(target_probability_text.get())

target_strength = float(target_strength_text.get())

non_target_strength = float(non_target_strength_text.get())

vigilance_seed = float(vigilance_seed_text.get())

stimuli_total_count = int(stimuli_total_count_text.get())

num_participants = int(num_participants_text.get())

random_seed = int(random_seed_text.get())

outfile_name = filename_text.get()

random.seed(random_seed)

# Initialize CSV

outfile = open(outfile_name, “w”)

outfile.write(“participant\tr(target)\ttarget\tr(rest)\trest\tC\tv\tr(detect)\tdetect\thit\tfalse alarm\n”)

# Do participants

for pid in range(num_participants):

(hits, false_alarms) = sim_for_one(pid, outfile, α, β, θ, target_probability, target_strength, non_target_strength, vigilance_seed, stimuli_total_count)

outfile.close()

root = Tk()

root.geometry(“200x750”)

frame = Frame(root)

frame.pack()

Label(frame, text=“Vigilance Simulation”).pack()

Label(frame, text=“α”).pack()

alpha_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

alpha_text.insert(0, ‘0.02’)

alpha_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“β”).pack()

beta_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

beta_text.insert(0, ‘0.1’)

beta_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“θ”).pack()

theta_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

theta_text.insert(0, ‘0.0’)

theta_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“Target Probablity”).pack()

target_probability_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

target_probability_text.insert(0, ‘1’)

target_probability_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“Target Strength”).pack()

target_strength_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

target_strength_text.insert(0, ‘1’)

target_strength_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“Non-Target Strength”).pack()

non_target_strength_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

non_target_strength_text.insert(0, ‘1’)

non_target_strength_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“Vigilance Seed”).pack()

vigilance_seed_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

vigilance_seed_text.insert(0, ‘1’)

vigilance_seed_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“Stimuli Total Count”).pack()

stimuli_total_count_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

stimuli_total_count_text.insert(0, ‘1’)

stimuli_total_count_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“Number of Participants”).pack()

num_participants_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

num_participants_text.insert(0, ‘1’)

num_participants_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“Randomization Seed”).pack()

random_seed_text = Entry(frame, width=8)

random_seed_text.insert(0, ‘0’)

random_seed_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

Label(frame, text=“CSV Filename”).pack()

filename_text = Entry(frame, width=20)

filename_text.insert(0, ‘.csv’)

filename_text.pack(padx=5, pady=5)

button = Button(frame, text=“Run simulation!”, command=simulate_vigilance)

button.pack()

root.mainloop()

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Helton, W.S., Wen, J. Will the real resource theory please stand up! Vigilance is a renewable resource and should be modeled as such. Exp Brain Res 241, 1263–1270 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-023-06604-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-023-06604-x

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