An expert guide to planning experimental tasks for evidence accumulation modelling

Abstract

Evidence accumulation models (EAMs) are powerful tools for making sense of human and animal decision-making behaviour. EAMs have generated significant theoretical advances in psychology, behavioural economics, and cognitive neuroscience, and are increasingly used as a measurement tool in clinical research and other applied settings. Obtaining valid and reliable inferences from EAMs depends on knowing how to establish a close match between model assumptions and features of the task/data to which the model is applied. However, this knowledge is rarely articulated in the EAM literature, leaving beginners to rely on the private advice of mentors and colleagues, and on inefficient trial-and-error learning. In this article, we provide practical guidance for designing tasks appropriate for EAMs, for relating experimental manipulations to EAM parameters, for planning appropriate sample sizes, and for preparing data and conducting an EAM analysis. Our advice is based on prior methodological studies and the authors’ substantial collective experience with EAMs. By encouraging good task design practices, and warning of potential pitfalls, we hope to improve the quality and trustworthiness of future EAM research and applications.

Citation

Boag, R. J., Innes, R., Stevenson, N., Bahg, G., Busemeyer, J. R., Cox, G. E., Donkin, C., Frank, M. J., Hawkins, G., Heathcote, A., Hedge, C., Lerche, V., Lilburn, S., Logan, G. D., Matzke, D., Miletic, S., Osth, A. F., Palmeri, T., Sederberg, P. B., Singmann, H., Smith, P. L., Stafford, T., Steyvers, M., Strickland, L. J., Trueblood, J., Tsetsos, K., Turner, B. M., Usher, M., van Maanen, L., van Ravenzwaaij, D., Vandekerckhove, J., Voss, A., Weichart, E. R., Weindel, G., White, C., Evans, N. J., Brown, S., & Forstmann, B. (preprint). An expert guide to planning experimental tasks for evidence accumulation modelling. PsyArXiv.

Bibtex

@article{boag_etal:preprint:experimental,
    title   = {{A}n expert guide to planning experimental tasks for evidence accumulation modelling},
    author  = {Boag, Russell J. and Innes, Reilly and Stevenson, Niek and Bahg, Giwon and Busemeyer, Jerome R. and Cox, Gregory E. and Donkin, Christopher and Frank, Michael J. and Hawkins, Guy and Heathcote, Andrew and Hedge, Craig and Lerche, Veronika and Lilburn, Simon and Logan, Gordon D. and Matzke, Dora and Miletic, Steven and Osth, Adam F. and Palmeri, Thomas and Sederberg, Per B. and Singmann, Henrik and Smith, Philip L. and Stafford, Tom and Steyvers, Mark and Strickland, Luke J. and Trueblood, Jennifer and Tsetsos, Konstantinos and Turner, Brandon M. and Usher, Marius and van Maanen, Leendert and van Ravenzwaaij, Don and Vandekerckhove, Joachim and Voss, Andreas and Weichart, Emily R. and Weindel, Gabriel and White, Corey and Evans, Nathan J. and Brown, Scott and Forstmann, Birte},
    year    = {preprint},
    journal = {PsyArXiv}
}