The effect of Bayesian feedback on learning in an odds estimation task

• Published in: Organizational behavior and human performance 1975-01, Vol.14 (3), p.305-313
• Main Authors: Donnell, Michael L., Du Charme, Wesley M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0030-5073
• DOI: 10.1016/0030-5073(75)90032-X

Numerous studies have compared human and optimal uncertainty revision, but few have considered learning and transfer effects. The present study provided subjects with 60 feedback trials in an odds revision task using normal distribution data generators. Learning and transfer were tested by comparing pretraining and posttraining odds estimates for data generators differing in diagnosticity (higher and lower) and kind (binomial) from those used in training. Subjects showed rapid learning and a moderate amount of transfer. What subjects seem to do after training is to increase their initially too small odds by some factor related to the perceived diagnosticity of the data generators. The fact that transfer of training is so closely tied to the actual stimuli used during feedback poses problems for training operators of real world diagnostic systems.