The Japanese Journal of Psychonomic Science
Online ISSN : 2188-7977
Print ISSN : 0287-7651
ISSN-L : 0287-7651
Research Notes
Effect of the number of categories in methods of constant stimuli
Yasuharu Okamoto
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2017 Volume 36 Issue 1 Pages 85-91

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Abstract

Simulation of experiments using methods of constant stimuli demonstrated that from a statistical perspective the three- or four-category (3AFC or 4AFC) methods are preferable to the two-category (2AFC) method. Point estimates of the slope and position parameters, sigma and mu, respectively, of psychometric functions of cumulative normal distributions were calculated using Bayesian analysis of the data generated by simulation experiments using methods of constant stimuli. The root mean square errors (RMSEs) of estimates of sigma for the two-category method were approximately 1.4 times those for the three- or four-category methods. The just noticeable difference is given by a constant time of sigma. RMSEs of estimates of mu corresponding to the point of subjective equality were approximately of the same magnitude in the two- and four-categories methods, but those for the three-category method was about three fourths of those for the two- or four-category methods.

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© 2017 The Japanese Psychonomic Society
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