Judging confidence influences decision processing in comparative judgments.
Current theories of confidence in human judgment assume that confidence and the decision it is based on are inextricably tied to the same process (decisional locus theories) or that confidence processing begins only once the primary decision has been completed (postdecisional locus theories). In the absence of auxiliary assumptions, however, neither class of theory permits the judgment of confidence to affect primary decision processing. In the present study, we examined the effect of rendering confidence judgments on the properties of the decision process in a sensory discrimination task. An examination of the properties of the time taken to determine confidence (i.e., the time taken to render the judgment of confidence) revealed clear evidence of postdecisional confidence processing. Concomitantly, the requirement of confidence judgments was found to substantially increase decisional response times, suggesting that some confidence processing occurs during the primary decision process. We discuss the implications of these findings for contemporary models of confidence in human judgment.
Petrusic
William M
WM
Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. bill_petrusic@carleton.ca
Baranski
Joseph V
JV
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003657:Decision Making; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004056:Differential Threshold; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011337:Probability Learning; D011930:Reaction Time; D012718:Set, Psychology; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D012858:Size Perception