Sample size, confidence, and contingency judgement.

Full Abstract

According to statistical models, the acquisition function of contingency judgement is due to confidence increasing with sample size. According to associative models, the function reflects the accumulation of associative strength on which the judgement is based. Which view is right? Thirty university students assessed the relation between a fictitious medication and a symptom of skin discoloration in conditions that varied sample size (4, 6, 8 or 40 trials) and contingency (delta P = .20, .40, .60 or .80). Confidence was also collected. Contingency judgement was lower for smaller samples, while confidence level correlated inversely with sample size. This dissociation between contingency judgement and confidence contradicts the statistical perspective.

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Author information

Author/s: Clément, Mélanie (M); Mercier, Pierre (P); Pastò, Luigi (L);

Affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques Lussier, P.O. Box 450, Station A, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5. mclem078(-atsign-)uottawa.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Canadian journal of experimental psychology = Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale (Can J Exp Psychol), published in Canada. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jun; vol 56 (issue 2) : pp 128-37

Dates: Created 2002/06/17; Completed 2002/08/14; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12066421, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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