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Staircase Method

The staircase method is more efficient for estimating the threshold, because the level
samples are adaptively clustered around the psychometric threshold (Dixon & Mood
1948). The method works as follow:
The session starts with trials at suprathreshold levels, then, depending on the
subject's responses, the next trials use either a higher or lower stimulus level based
on a simple rule: the level is lowered after a given number of consecutive correct
responses and raised after a number of consecutive incorrect responses. A reversal
occurs when the stimulus level has been lowered and then subsequently raised. This
process is repeated until a given number of reversals has been reached. The
threshold is then estimated by averaging the values of the stimulus levels obtained
for the last few reversals.
The increase and decrease rates, the number of reversals, and the number of
consecutive responses can be customized in the properties panel (see Kaernbach
1991, Brown 1996, Garcia-Prez 1998 for recommendations on the design of
efficient and reliable staircases):

Properties for the staircase method are divided in 2 sections:


1. Control

Parameter is is the name of the stimulus property whose level varies


across the trials (dependent variable of the experiment design). If the
name does not appear in the pop-up menu, enter it in the associated
text field. The same name must be used when customizing the
stimulus event so the method properly controls the level of the stimulus
property under investigation.

Initial value (mean range) value for the parameter will be chosen in
the interval defined by mean range. The starting interval should
correspond to a suprathreshold level. Note that both mean and range
parameters can be specified using either numbers, variables, or
any mathematical expression.

Maximum value specifies the highest value the parameter is allowed to


take during the staircase method. The way this value affects the
method depends on the selected mode: "None" indicates it has no
effect and the parameter may take any value (note that a warning or
error message may be displayed in the experiment log window during
the experiment); "Clamp" indicates that the value taken by the
parameter will never be larger than the specified maximum value;
"Abort" indicates that the method should stop as soon the parameter
value exceeds this maximum value. Note that the maximum value can
be specified using either a number, a variable, or any expression.

Decrease after <n> correct responses is the number of consecutive


correct responses before decreasing the parameter value.

Increase after <p> incorrect responses is the number of consecutive


incorrect responses before increasing the parameter value.

Equivalent Criterion is the estimated probability for the threshold


based on the number of p-up and n-down rules, the step asymmetry
and the absolute vs relative mode (see below).

2. Rates & Reversals

First and last reversals define the set of reversals used to determine
the threshold estimation. The response collection ends when the last
reversal occurs.

Step size indicates how the parameter value is changed across trials,
either in terms of relative rate expressed in % or in terms of absolute
units. Note that for absolute step size in particular, it is important to
make sure the resulting values make sense in terms of stimulus
properties. For example, if negative values are produced it may be
needed to use a "clamping" expression to limit the parameter to some
minimum values when specifying some stimulus properties:
min+rect([parameter]-min) where min is the minimum value
for [parameter]
so the evaluation results in:
min if [parameter] < min
[parameter] otherwise

Decrease rates before and after the first reversal are the decrease
rates either in % for relative step size or absolute units to apply before
and after the first actual reversal (not the one with its index specified
above). They can be set so the parameter decreases faster at the start
of the staircase until the first actual reversal occurs (first incorrect
response), then so the decrease rate is reduced to a level which
minimizes the risk of getting stuck at a level far below the psychometric
threshold.

Increase rate is the increase rate either in % for relative step size or
absolute units to apply to the parameter value after each incorrect
response.

If you are not very familiar with the staircase method, we highly recommend
that you experiment with this interactive widget. This widget illustrates how
the various staircase parameters affect the data collection and the threshold
estimation (using a psychometric function as model of the decision process
performed by a subject in a 2AFC task): 1) set the up/down rule of your
staircase method by specifying the number of consecutive incorrect and
correct responses as well as the increasing and decreasing rates. The
indicated performance criterion is derived from these properties. 2) Select a
psychometric function to model the decision process with some values for its
alpha and beta parameters (the indicated data point in the right plot indicate
the theoretical threshold at performance criterion for the decision process). 3)
The left plot shows a simulated experiment using the specified staircase
method and the decision model. Compare the estimated and theoretical
thresholds as a function of the various parameters!

Here are few examples of plot obtained using this method once it is completed
(see Plotter panel):

Note that, once plotted, the staircase results can be further customized by selecting
how the threshold average is estimated:

using an arithmetic or geometric mean with the associated standard deviation,


or */ std,

whether the troughs, the peaks or both are used in this estimation (only
troughs are used by default).

with an option to highlight the reversal points in the graph.

The staircase method is relatively efficient, but at a cost: it does not generate the
same amount of information regarding the shape of the psychometric function as do
a method of constant stimuli. Despite this, it would be still possible to estimate the
threshold and slope by fitting psychometric functions to the obtained data, although
estimates of psychometric slope are likely to be more variable than those produced
by the method of constant stimuli (for a reasonable sampling of the psychometric
function).
The next method provides an efficient way to estimate both threshold and slope by
fitting a psychometric function on the fly using a Bayesian approach.

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