TY - JOUR
T1 - Memory activation of multiple hypotheses in sequential diagnostic reasoning
AU - Rebitschek, Felix G.
AU - Krems, Josef F.
AU - Jahn, Georg
PY - 2015/2/16
Y1 - 2015/2/16
N2 - In sequential diagnostic reasoning, observed evidence activates hypotheses about possible causes in memory. These memory activations have been previously examined with a probe reaction task for problems with a single correct diagnosis. We applied this process tracing method to ambiguous problems with multiple compatible hypotheses. When participants reasoned about the causes of ambiguous symptom sequences, they were prompted to respond to probes representing hypotheses. The response time to a probe was shorter if the current support for the respective hypothesis was stronger indicating that the processing of compatible hypotheses can be traced. For sequences with two equally supported hypotheses, the initial hypothesis was more often chosen as the final diagnosis (a primacy effect). Probe reaction times suggest that the initial hypothesis has been activated more strongly already early, when it was finally chosen as the diagnosis. Nevertheless, substantial variance in response times limits the task's applicability for process tracing.
AB - In sequential diagnostic reasoning, observed evidence activates hypotheses about possible causes in memory. These memory activations have been previously examined with a probe reaction task for problems with a single correct diagnosis. We applied this process tracing method to ambiguous problems with multiple compatible hypotheses. When participants reasoned about the causes of ambiguous symptom sequences, they were prompted to respond to probes representing hypotheses. The response time to a probe was shorter if the current support for the respective hypothesis was stronger indicating that the processing of compatible hypotheses can be traced. For sequences with two equally supported hypotheses, the initial hypothesis was more often chosen as the final diagnosis (a primacy effect). Probe reaction times suggest that the initial hypothesis has been activated more strongly already early, when it was finally chosen as the diagnosis. Nevertheless, substantial variance in response times limits the task's applicability for process tracing.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84937072882&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/20445911.2015.1026825
DO - 10.1080/20445911.2015.1026825
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:84937072882
SN - 2044-5911
VL - 27
SP - 780
EP - 796
JO - Journal of Cognitive Psychology
JF - Journal of Cognitive Psychology
IS - 6
ER -