Measurement of Analog Sequential Dependencies 1

Abstract

A statistic sensitive to sequential dependencies existing between responses was proposed. Two studies were undertaken to determine the validity and practicality of this measure. In the first study, results included: (1) the distribution of this measure (λ) is sufficiently normal to permit parametric analyses; (2) λ sensitively reflects both individual differences and the course of learning; and (3) only a low positive correlation exists between λ and average error. The second study, in the area of controller sensitivity, indicated that λ is more sensitive to small changes in task parameters than either average error or root-mean-square. Future applications of the λ coefficient to both analog and digital data were suggested.

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