Multidimensional scaling as a method for assessing internal conceptual models of inspection tasks

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Abstract
Modelling the decision making component of inspection is hampered by an incomplete understanding of the way in which humans internally represent information about inspection tasks. This paper describes the use of multidimensional scaling (MDS) as a method for assessing the internal conceptual models used by inspectors. In this research six subjects were trained to inspect and classify a visually presented simulated product into one of four quality control categories. A methodology using a pairwise similarity procedure and a MDS analysis of the obtained ratings was used to track the evolution of an inspector's conceptual model and to relate the internal structure of that model to the inspector's performance. The results demonstrated the ability of the method to track the development of the decision maker's model during learning and revealed the relation between a well structured model and performance.

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