A Decision-Theoretic Model of the Sampling Behavior of the Human Process Monitor: Experimental Evaluation

Abstract

Subjective sampling behavior was compared with that of an optimal dynamic decision model for a process monitoring task with and without compensatory actions. The cost structure (ratio of cost of sampling to cost of the process exceeding certain critical threshold limits) and the threshold limit were the two independent variables. The performance of the subjects tended to be suboptimal with significant differences between the subjective and the normative sampling intervals. The extent and direction of these differences depended on the values of the two independent variables. However, for the no-control task, significant correlations existed between the subjective and the normative sampling intervals for all subjects and all experimental conditions, while only three of the eight control cases produced such significant correlations.