<p>Both are errors indeed. Pressing when a 3 is shown is called a false alarm, and not pressing when a three is shown is a miss. Correct responses are (1) hits (pressing when anything but a three is shown) or (2) correct rejections (not pressing with a three). </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Y8t42.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Y8t42.jpg" alt="http://gregstevens.com/2012/06/28/minimum-wage-part-2-signal-detection-theory/"></a></p>

<p>These classifications are used in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detection_theory" rel="nofollow noreferrer">signal detection theory</a> (Wiki). More specifically, they are used to calculate <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitivity_index" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sensitivity</a> and bias.</p>

<p>Sensitivity, or d-prime (see also other questions on CogSci, e.g. <a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/9282/11318">Calculating d-prime</a>), is the metric for how well one can distinguish targets from distractors. Bias, on the other hand, is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>the extent to which one response is more probable than another (<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detection_theory" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wiki</a>)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-05T09:13:14.483Z
I realise that they're both errors, but are they both used in the error calculation that is typically published? The original Robertson paper isn't explicit about this, but I get the sense they are only considering false alarms in their results
Simon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-05T09:59:17.703Z
I made some minor changes to my answer in hope to clarify my answer. I don't work with it myself, so I don't know of any recent literature and their practices, but I hope my answer may give you some starting point for your search.
Robin Kramer-ten Have
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-05T09:07:38.683Z
2017-03-07T12:09:06.903Z
2017-04-13T12:56:16.417Z
Robin Kramer-ten Have
<p>The traditional SART task requires key presses to all digits appearing on the screen. However, the key press should be withheld if the digit is a 3</p>

<p>When aggregating the collected data, what is considered an error?</p>

<p>Is it simply the number of times the key was pressed when a 3 is on the screen? Or does it also include incorrectly withheld key presses (i.e. when the digit is anything other than 3)?</p>

<cognitive-psychology><experimental-psychology><attention>
What is considered an error in the sustained attention to response task (SART)?
Simon
# What is considered an error in the sustained attention to response task (SART)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-05)

The traditional SART task requires key presses to all digits appearing on the screen. However, the key press should be withheld if the digit is a 3

When aggregating the collected data, what is considered an error?

Is it simply the number of times the key was pressed when a 3 is on the screen? Or does it also include incorrectly withheld key presses (i.e. when the digit is anything other than 3)?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, experimental-psychology, attention


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-02-05. Score: 2

Both are errors indeed. Pressing when a 3 is shown is called a false alarm, and not pressing when a three is shown is a miss. Correct responses are (1) hits (pressing when anything but a three is shown) or (2) correct rejections (not pressing with a three).

[![http://gregstevens.com/2012/06/28/minimum-wage-part-2-signal-detection-theory/](https://i.sstatic.net/Y8t42.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Y8t42.jpg)

These classifications are used in [signal detection theory](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detection_theory) (Wiki). More specifically, they are used to calculate [sensitivity](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitivity_index) and bias.

Sensitivity, or d-prime (see also other questions on CogSci, e.g. [Calculating d-prime](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/9282/11318)), is the metric for how well one can distinguish targets from distractors. Bias, on the other hand, is:

> the extent to which one response is more probable than another ([Wiki](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detection_theory))

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I realise that they're both errors, but are they both used in the error calculation that is typically published? The original Robertson paper isn't explicit about this, but I get the sense they are only considering false alarms in their results  
> **username_1**: I made some minor changes to my answer in hope to clarify my answer. I don't work with it myself, so I don't know of any recent literature and their practices, but I hope my answer may give you some starting point for your search.  

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