A measure of the interference effect distribution

Thibault Gajdos (1) , Mathieu Servant (2) , Thierry Hasbroucq (3) , Karen Davranche (1)

1 LPC - Laboratoire de psychologie cognitive
2 UB - Université de Bourgogne
3 LNC - Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives [Marseille]

We elaborated an index, the Interference Distribution Index, which allows quantifying the relation between response times and the size of the interference effect. This index is associated with an intuitive graphical representation, the Lorenz-interference plot. We show that this index has some convenient properties in terms of sensitivity to changes in the distribution of the interference effect and to aggregation of individual data. Moreover, it turns out that this index is the only one (up to an arbitrary increasing transformation) possessing these properties. The relevance of this index is illustrated through simulations of a cognitive model of interference effects and reanalysis of experimental data.

Mots clés: delta plots; conflict tasks; interference effect; mental chronometry

Domaines: Neurosciences

Thibault Gajdos, Mathieu Servant, Thierry Hasbroucq, Karen Davranche. A measure of the interference effect distribution. Behavior Research Methods, 2020, 52 (4), pp.1629-1639. ⟨10.3758/s13428-019-01339-6⟩. ⟨hal-02992892⟩