Abstract
A detection model is generalized to apply to certain multiple observation tasks and data from two auditory experiments are presented which suggest its validity. An observer’s ability to discriminate trials on which tone signals were present during a randomly selected t of n observations, from trials on which no signals were present, was shown to be consistent with the model over a wide range of n and t values. Special emphasis is placed on the performance decrement produced by increasing n relative to t. This “temporal uncertainty” effect is then related to “channel uncertainty” in experiments designed to study attentional processes.
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Collection of the data presented in this paper was supported under NASA contract No. NAS 2-2676. The ideas presented in the paper were influenced by discussion with J. A. Swets and J. Yellot.
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Kinchla, R.A. Temporal and channel uncertainty in detection: A multiple observation analysis. Perception & Psychophysics 5, 129–136 (1969). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209541
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03209541