Subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making
There is currently little direct evidence regarding the function of subjective confidence in decision making: The tight correlation between objective accuracy and subjective confidence makes it difficult to distinguish each variable’s unique contribution. Here, we created conditions in a perceptual...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal article |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
2018
|
| _version_ | 1826260965303255040 |
|---|---|
| author | Desender, K Boldt, A Yeung, N |
| author_facet | Desender, K Boldt, A Yeung, N |
| author_sort | Desender, K |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | There is currently little direct evidence regarding the function of subjective confidence in decision making: The tight correlation between objective accuracy and subjective confidence makes it difficult to distinguish each variable’s unique contribution. Here, we created conditions in a perceptual decision task that were matched in accuracy but differed in subjective evaluation of accuracy by orthogonally varying the strength versus variability of evidence. Confidence was reduced with variable (vs. weak) evidence, even across conditions matched for difficulty. Building on this dissociation, we constructed a paradigm in which participants (N = 20) could choose to seek further information before making their decision. The data provided clear support for the hypothesis that subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making: Participants were more likely to sample additional information before giving a response in the condition with low confidence, despite matched accuracy. In a preregistered replication (N = 50), these findings were replicated with increased task difficulty levels. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T19:14:06Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:17c01c36-2c31-4549-a663-01c28dddbda2 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T19:14:06Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | SAGE Publications |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:17c01c36-2c31-4549-a663-01c28dddbda22022-03-26T10:39:19ZSubjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision makingJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:17c01c36-2c31-4549-a663-01c28dddbda2Symplectic Elements at OxfordSAGE Publications2018Desender, KBoldt, AYeung, NThere is currently little direct evidence regarding the function of subjective confidence in decision making: The tight correlation between objective accuracy and subjective confidence makes it difficult to distinguish each variable’s unique contribution. Here, we created conditions in a perceptual decision task that were matched in accuracy but differed in subjective evaluation of accuracy by orthogonally varying the strength versus variability of evidence. Confidence was reduced with variable (vs. weak) evidence, even across conditions matched for difficulty. Building on this dissociation, we constructed a paradigm in which participants (N = 20) could choose to seek further information before making their decision. The data provided clear support for the hypothesis that subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making: Participants were more likely to sample additional information before giving a response in the condition with low confidence, despite matched accuracy. In a preregistered replication (N = 50), these findings were replicated with increased task difficulty levels. |
| spellingShingle | Desender, K Boldt, A Yeung, N Subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making |
| title | Subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making |
| title_full | Subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making |
| title_fullStr | Subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making |
| title_short | Subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making |
| title_sort | subjective confidence predicts information seeking in decision making |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT desenderk subjectiveconfidencepredictsinformationseekingindecisionmaking AT boldta subjectiveconfidencepredictsinformationseekingindecisionmaking AT yeungn subjectiveconfidencepredictsinformationseekingindecisionmaking |