Abstract
In this paper we propose a new set of questions that focus on the direction of effects. In almost all studies the direction is important. For example, in a Stroop task we expect responses to incongruent items to be slower than those to congruent ones, and this direction implies one theoretical explanation. Yet, if congruent words are slowed down relative to incongruent words we would have a completely different theoretical explanation. We ask a ‘does everybody’ question, such as, ‘does every individual show a Stroop effect in the same direction?’ Or, ‘does every individual respond faster to loud tones than soft tones?’ If all individuals truly have effects in the same direction that implicate a common theory, we term the differences among them as quantitative individual differences. Conversely, if all individuals truly have effects in different directions that implicate different theories, we term the differences among them as qualitative individual differences. Here, we provide a users guide to the question of whether individual differences are qualitative or quantitative. We discuss theoretical issues, methodological advances, new software for assessment, and, most importantly, how the question impacts theory development in cognitive science. Our hope is that this mode of analysis is a productive tool in researchers’ toolkits.
Highlights
Rouder & HaafJournal of CognitionAt the heart of experimental psychology is the experimental method
The experimental method yoked with within-subject designs is powerful, the typical questions psychologists ask in such settings strike us as limited
Our main target is the question of qualitative individual differences—does everybody have an effect in the same direction or is there variability in the direction of effects
Summary
At the heart of experimental psychology is the experimental method. By creatively manipulating. The experimental method yoked with within-subject designs is powerful, the typical questions psychologists ask in such settings strike us as limited. The usual question is where does the true population average effect fall—is it in the positive, null, or negative region. This usual question makes some sense as these are the only three regions that have theoretical importance. These individuals have true effects in the same region—both are described by a semantic-priming theory. This qualitative difference holds even though the difference between B2 and B1 is the same 50 ms difference as between A2 and A1
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