?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=A+Theory+of+Reaction+Time+Distributions&rft.creator=Moscoso+del+Prado+Martin%2C+Dr+Fermin&rft.subject=Statistical+Models&rft.subject=Computational+Neuroscience&rft.subject=Behavioral+Analysis&rft.subject=Psychophysics&rft.description=We+develop+a+general+theory+of+reaction+time+(%7BRT%7D)+distributions+in+psychological+experiments%2C+deriving+from+the+distribution+of+the+quotient+of+two+normal+random+variables%2C+that+of+the+task+difficulty+(top-down+information)%2C+and+that+of+the+external+evidence+that+becomes+available+to+solve+it+(bottom-up+information).+The+theory+is+capable+of+accounting+for+results+from+a+variety+of+models+of+reaction+time+distributions+and+it+makes+novel+predictions.+It+provides+a+unified+account+of+known+changes+in+the+shape+of+the+distributions+depending+on+properties+of+the+task+and+of+the+participants%2C+and+it+predicts+additional+changes+that+should+be+observed.+We+show+that+a+number+of+known+properties+of+%7BRT%7D+distributions+are+homogeneously+accounted+for+by+variations+in+the+value+of+two+easily+interpretable+parameters%2C+the+coefficients+of+variation+of+the+two+normal+variables.+The+predictions+of+the+theory+are+compared+with+those+of+many+families+of+distributions+that+have+been+proposed+to+account+for+%7BRT%7Ds%2C+indicating+our+theory+provides+a+significantly+better+account+of+the+data+across+tasks+and+modalities.+In+addition%2C+a+new+methodology+for+analyzing+%7BRT%7D+data+is+derived+from+the+theory%2C+and+we+illustrate+how+it+can+be+used+to+disentagle+top-down+and+bottom-up+effects+in+an+experiment.+Finally%2C+we+show+how+the+theory+links+to+neurobiological+models+of+response+latencies.&rft.date=2008-12-28&rft.type=Other&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F6310%2F1%2Frecinormal.pdf&rft.identifier=++Moscoso+del+Prado+Martin%2C+Dr+Fermin++(2008)+A+Theory+of+Reaction+Time+Distributions.+++++(Unpublished)++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F6310%2F