Category width, confidence, expectancies, and perceptual accuracy

Abstract

The relation of category width to accuracy of visual discriminations and estimates of expected performance and confidence were investigated for 55 student volunteers. Feedback (reported at 70% of actual performance accuracy) was provided to 28 subjects. Narrow categorizers were found to be more accurate, regardless of feedback. Feedback affected accuracy as well as expectancy and confidence. However, there were no differences in confidence or expectancy for different category width groups nor was category width a significant main effect in the analysis of changes in confidence and expectancy from pre- to postfeedback measures. Contrary to the findings of Phares and Davis (1966), there were no differences in generalization of expectancies between narrow and broad categorizers.