title: A regression method for estimating performance in a rapid serial visual presentation target detection task.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Estimating target detection performance in the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) target detection paradigm can be challenging when the inter-stimulus interval is small relative to the variability in human response time. The challenge arises because assigning a particular response to the correct image cannot be done with certainty. Existing solutions to this challenge establish a heuristic for assigning responses to images and thereby determining which responses are hits and which are false alarms.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a regression-based method for estimating hit rate and false alarm rate that corrects for expected errors in a likelihood-based assignment of responses to stimuli.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Simulations show that this regression method results in an unbiased and accurate estimate of target detection performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The regression method had lower estimation error compared to three existing methods, and in contrast to the existing methods, the errors made by the regression method do not depend strongly on the true values of hit rate and false alarm rate. The most commonly used existing method performed well when simulated performance was nearly perfect, but not when behavioral error rates increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on its better estimation of hit rate and false alarm rate, the regression method proposed here would seem the best choice when estimating the hit rate and false alarm rate is the primary interest.
authors.affiliation: Human Research and Engineering Directorate, Army Research Laboratory, 459 Mulberry Point Rd., Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD 21005-5425, United States. Electronic address: benjamin.files.ctr@mail.mil.
authors.forename: Benjamin T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Files
authors.affiliation: Human Research and Engineering Directorate, Army Research Laboratory, 459 Mulberry Point Rd., Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD 21005-5425, United States.
authors.forename: Amar R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Marathe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: False alarm rate; Hit rate; RSVP; Response time; Simulation