Robustness of the a b Signal Detection Theory Model of Decision Making

Bustamante, Fallon, and Bliss (2006) showed that the a b Signal Detection Theory (SDT) model was more parsimonious, generalizable, and applicable than the classical SDT model. Additionally, they demonstrated that both models provided statistically equivalent and uncorrelated measures of sensitivity and bias under ideal conditions. The purpose of this research was to show the robustness of the a b model for handling extreme responses. We conducted an empirical evaluation of operators' decision-making and two Monte Carlo simulations. Results from the empirical study showed that the a b model provided equivalent yet independent measures of decision-making accuracy and bias, whereas the classical model failed to provide independent measures in the presence of extreme responses. The Monte Carlo simulations showed a similar trend for the superiority of the a b model. Results from this research provide evidence to support the use of the a b model instead of the classical model.