Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

12-15-1970

Abstract

The ability of Levine’s subset-sampling assumption to account for the gradual decrease in response latency following the trial of the last error was investigated in two experiments. Levine’s account assumes that Ss monitor a set of hypotheses (H) and reduce the set until only the correct H remains. This assumption leads to the prediction that latencies will decrease until S holds only the correct H and will remain constant thereafter. Levine’s assumption was tested by employing a distributed stimulus set composed of four binary dimensions and a procedure which required Ss to make an overt response in order to sample each dimension. Response latency as measured from the first dimension selection response to the category response. Following Levine, Ss were required to make an overt response indicating the trial on which they felt they had reached solution (ST). When the ST was used as a reference point it was found in accord with Levine’s subset-sampling assumption, that Ss who sampled only one dimension per trial did not show the latency decrease following the trial of last error, and that the latency decrease was due to only those Ss entering the criterion run sampling more than one H. Contrary to Levine's predictions it was found that response latencies after the ST showed a slight but definite decrease which was hypothesized to be an artifact of the dimension sampling and latency recording procedures used in the first experiment. In a second experiment, which was designed to remove the post-ST latency decrease, the procedure was modified to include a stimulus-presentation response which was required of S in order to view the values of the selected dimensions. The slopes of post-ST latency curves in the second experiment were shown not to differ from the zero slope predicted by Levine's subset-sampling assumption. It was concluded that the two experiments provided direct support for Levine's assumption.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Peder Jack Johnson

Second Committee Member

John Marshall Rhodes

Third Committee Member

David Wilmot Bessemer

Fourth Committee Member

G. Robert Grice

Fifth Committee Member

Henry Carleton Ellis

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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