Peer Review

Signal Detection Experiment

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Jul 6, 2002 by Psychology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This site has the potential to help students understand a fairly difficult
aspect of visual perception - signal detection. There is a brief but useful
description of the theory, followed by an interesting experiment in which the
learner becomes a subject and generates data on the detection of weak and strong
signals. Students who complete the six sets of 20 trials are presented with a
table of results which shows their ability to detect such signals. The table of
results can be printed, and there is an opportunity to compare results. There
is the potential to investigate the influence of predictor variables such as
gender, age, etc. on signal detection sensitivity.
Type of Material:: A text-based description and a java applet experiment.
Recommended Uses:: This activity provides an interesting and compelling introduction to a fairly
complex theory of visual perception. It is recommended as an ancillary activity
to a more thorough discussion.
Technical Requirements:: Monitor and browser settings may need to be adjusted for proper viewing. There
are full instructions available.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The goal of this website is to provide the psychology student with a
description of signal detection theory and lead him/her through an experiment in
which personal data is collected and summarized. This activity leads to a
better understanding of how humans organize and interpret certain kinds of
visual information.
Target Student Population:: Undergraduate Psychology students.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: College-level reading ability required.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: This is an easy to understand demonstration of signal detection theory, and the
description accompanying the experiment provides an excellent overview -
complete with illustrations and definitions of key terms.
Concerns:: None indicated.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: This site describes signal processing theory and gives a few examples which a
student can easily relate to. The online experiment requires the student to
carefully attend to the computer screen and indicate whether or not he or she
detects a signal. Students are provided immediate feedback on the accuracy of
their ability to detect weak and strong signals. It is an active learning
experience which is likely to maintain a high level of attention and result in a
fuller understanding of the concepts underlying this fairly esoteric area of
visual perception
Concerns:: None indicated.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: This application requires a java-ready browser, such as any recent release of
Netscape Communicator or Internet Explorer and is not compatible with the
Macintosh platform. The experimental trials are very easy to understand and to
complete. The most difficult aspects of the activity are at the beginning (the
description of the theory) and at the end - there is no assistance provided for
the interpretation of the tabular display of results.
Concerns:: None indicated.

Other Issues and Comments:: This activity provides an interesting and compelling introduction to a fairly
complex theory of visual perception. It is recommended as an ancillary activity
to a more thorough discussion.
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