Abstract
Responding to a related pair of measurements is often expressed as a single discrimination ratio. Authors have used various discrimination ratios; yet, little information exists to guide their choice. A second use of ratios is to correct for the influence of a nuisance variable on the measurement of interest. I examine 4 discrimination ratios using simulated data sets. Three ratios, of the form a/(a + b), b/(a + b), and (a − b)/(a + b), introduced distortions to their raw data. The fourth ratio, (b − a)/b largely avoided such distortions and was the most sensitive at detecting statistical differences. Effect size statistics were also often improved with a correction ratio. Gustatory sensory preconditioning experiments involved measurement of rats’ sucrose and saline consumption; these flavors served as either a target flavor or a control flavor and were counterbalanced across rats. However, sensory preconditioning was often masked by a bias for sucrose over saline. Sucrose and saline consumption scores were multiplied by the ratio of the overall consumption to the consumption of that flavor alone, which corrected the bias. The general utility of discrimination and correction ratios for data treatment is discussed.
Highlights
Responding to a related pair of measurements is often expressed as a single discrimination ratio
The Pfautz ratio (Pfautz et al, 1978) suffered neither of those complications: Ratios for different CS rates did not differ in their variability and the interval between each set of ratios retained the linearity of the original CS rates
The Kamin and Pfautz ratios differed in their sensitivity as measured by effect size statistics based on one-sample t tests that compared each CS-rate’s population of ratios to the value of the ratio when the a and b rates were equal
Summary
Jasper Robinson Online First Publication, August 14, 2017. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition 2017, Vol 0, No 999, 000
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