A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF INFORMATION IN MAINTAINING EFFICIENCY ON AN AUDITORY MONITORING TASK

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Abstract
Eight subjects were required to respond as rapidly as possible to brief, infrequent. randomly occurring auditory signals over eight fifty minute sessions. In four of the sessions, the sensation level of the signals was 10d B and in four, 60 dB above threshold. In one session at each intensity, subjects were informed after each response (except the first) whether they responded more rapidly or more slowly than they had to the preceding stimulus. In another session, at each intensity, the experimenter pretended to give this information, but actually gave information uncorrelated with efficiency of responding. In still another, at each level, the response was merely acknowledged. Latency and failures to respond under these conditions were compared with comparable measures under control conditions at each level, in which no information was given or acknowledgment made. It was found that latency remained fairly constant and failures of detection were negligible for all conditions in which subjects were responding to 00 dB signals. Reaction times for 10 dB signals increased significantly in the control condition and when the subject's responses were merely acknowledged. The increase was significantly less when subjects were given simulated information uncorrelated with their responses. When true knowledge of results was given, no increase of latency occurred. No systematic trend for failures of detection was noted. Possible interpretations of the findings are discussed.

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