Smith J, Kaufman H, Baldasare J
Am J Psychol. 1984 Fall;97(3):343-58.
Two experiments that employed the dimension of line length were conducted to support an interpretation of direct estimation within the framework of comparative judgment. It was reasoned that because memorial and processing demands increased, decreasing amounts of transmitted information should be found in discrimination, categorization, and estimation tasks when considered in that order. The data of the first experiment supported the prediction. However, external anchors provided to reduce demand in estimation had no apparent effect. A second study did indicate a marginal effect of anchors when subjects were instructed to employ them but, more strikingly, demonstrated that the shape of the psychophysical function was sensitive to the differential labels that accompanied the anchors. Labels derived from a Fechnerian assumption about psychophysical relations produced a Fechnerian function, whereas labels derived from the actual ratio of the stimulus line to the largest line produced a function consistent with Stevens's power law. It was concluded that the evidence favored a view of direct estimation consonant with cognitive interpretations rather than with the idea of a universal psychophysical function.
进行了两项采用线长维度的实验，以支持在比较判断框架内对直接估计的一种解释。据推断，由于记忆和加工需求增加，当按该顺序考虑辨别、分类和估计任务时，应会发现传递信息的量逐渐减少。第一个实验的数据支持了这一预测。然而，为减少估计需求而提供的外部锚点没有明显效果。第二项研究确实表明，当指示受试者使用锚点时，锚点有轻微影响，但更引人注目的是，它表明心理物理函数的形状对伴随锚点的不同标签敏感。源自关于心理物理关系的费希纳假设的标签产生了一个费希纳函数，而源自刺激线与最大线的实际比率的标签产生了一个与史蒂文斯幂定律一致的函数。得出的结论是，证据支持一种与认知解释一致的直接估计观点，而不是支持普遍心理物理函数的观点。
