Knowledge of results and the perceptual trace
Eric Michael Stafford · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · 2010
An experiment was designed to test the role of knowledge of results (KR) in perceptual trace (PT) development with KR temporal delay intervals and presence or absence of KR as independent variables. Each of three groups of 10 Ss_ per group had a specific arrangement of KR temporal delay intervals such that over all groups there were two KR delay intervals of 1.0 and 30.0 seconds, two post-KR delay intervals of 10.0 and 39.0 seconds and two intertrial intervals (ITI) of 11.0 and 40.0 seconds. All groups performed a linear positioning task over three phases of responding in order to vary the presence or absence of KR. Two hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis 1, which stated that the post-KR delay interval is the locus of post-KR phase response bias, was not supported by the results. However, there was a tentative finding that the KR phase ITI is the locus of post-KR phase response bias, which supports both the concept of a functioning,PT and the concept that the PT is formed solely from response-produced feedback (FB). Hypothesis 2, which stated that KR does not permanently affect response variability, was supported by the results. Response variability was the same prior to (i.e., pre-KR phase) and following (i.e., post-KR phase) the presentation of KR.