The Generalized Signal Detection Theory

Summary, in English

Signal detection theory (SDT) and the Dual Process SDT

(Yonelinas, 1994) are currently the most influential accounts

of item variability in recognition memory. However,

neither provides a sufficient account of differences in the

familiarity distributions. Instead, this phenomenon is

accounted for by the idea of encoding variability (Wixted,

2007) or an additional retrieval process (Yonelinas, 2001).

We present the Generalized Signal Detection Theory (the

GSDT), in which the familiarity distribution are a sum of

signals described by a sigmoidal non-linear activation function.

The GSDT accounts for a higher variability in the old

item distribution by emphasizing the non-linarites, but also

for equal variability in the new and old item distributions by

attenuating the non-linearites. The GSDT also extends the

interpretation of the new to old item variability, indexed by

the slope of the z-ROC.

• Author: Johan Hellman; Sverker Sikström
• Department/s: Department of Psychology
• Publishing year: 2013
• Language: English
• Document type: Conference paper
• Topic: Psychology
• Keywords: Recognition memory; Item variability; Receiver-operating Characteristics
• Conference name: 2nd Annual International Conference on Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology CBP 2013
• Conference date: 2013-02-25 - 2013-02-26
• Conference place: Singapore
• Status: Inpress