Macroscopic thermodynamics of reaction times

作者：Martin Fermin Moscoso del Prado^*

来源：Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 2011, 55(4): 302-319.

DOI：10.1016/j.jmp.2011.04.001

• Cognitive processing speed
• Entropy
• Hick's Law
• Phase transition
• Reaction time

I present a new interpretation of reaction time (RT) data from behavioural experiments. From a physical perspective, the entropy of the RI distribution - the temporal entropy - provides a model-free estimate of the amount of processing performed by the cognitive system. This new measure shifts the focus from the conventional interpretation of RTs being either long or short, into their distribution being more or less complex in terms of entropy. I introduce the formulation of the theory, followed by an empirical test using a large database of human RTs in lexical processing tasks. Using the measure, I obtain estimates of the processing loads to individual stimuli (i.e., words), as well as estimates for the overall rate at which the system processes information in these tasks. The relation between the temporal entropy and the RTs can be captured by a simple linear equation. I argue that this equation constitutes the equivalent of a 'phase diagram' of a task, providing indications about the different mechanisms that are at play in it, and locating critical points signalling the transitions between these different mechanisms. The results suggest an adaptive system that adjusts its operational processing speed to the demands of each individual stimulus. This finding is in contradiction with a generalization of Hick's Law positing a relatively constant processing speed within an experimental context.

• 出版日期2011-8