Journal article
Likelihood judgment based on previously observed outcomes: The alternative-outcomes effect in a learning paradigm
Memory & cognition, Vol.30(3), pp.469-477
2002
DOI: 10.3758/BF03194947
PMID: 12061767
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that intuitive perceptions of certainty regarding a focal outcome are sensitive to variations in how evidence supporting nonfocal alternatives is distributed, even when such variations have no bearing on objective probability. We investigated this alternative-outcomes effect in a learning paradigm in which participants made likelihood judgments on the basis of their memory for past observations of relevant outcomes. In Experiment 1, a manipulation of evidence (observed frequencies) across alternative outcomes influenced not only intuitive certainty estimates about a focal outcome but also numeric subjective probabilities. Experiment 2 ruled out the possibility that these effects were attributable to the influence of information loss on frequency estimations. The findings were consistent with the heuristic comparison account, which suggests that the judged likelihood of a focal outcome will be disproportionately influenced by the strength (frequency) of the strongest alternative outcome.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Likelihood judgment based on previously observed outcomes: The alternative-outcomes effect in a learning paradigm
- Creators
- Paul D Windschitl - University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United StatesMichael E Young - Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, United StatesMary E Jenson - University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Memory & cognition, Vol.30(3), pp.469-477
- Publisher
- Psychonomic Society
- DOI
- 10.3758/BF03194947
- PMID
- 12061767
- ISSN
- 0090-502X
- eISSN
- 1532-5946
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2002
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9984214742702771
Metrics
6 Record Views