From basic to applied research: theory and application of the a–b signal detection theory model

Abstract

The goal of this research was three-fold: (1) address the basic versus applied research debate within the domain-specific signal detection theoretical framework, which scientists and practitioners have used extensively along the full spectrum of this continuum; (2) provide empirical support to validate the adequacy of the model; and (3) show the potential generalisability of the model to different domain-specific areas within applied settings. The results from the basic empirical study suggest that the a–b signal detection theory (SDT) model provides a more accurate theoretical framework for examining the underlying processes involved in signal detection. The findings from the domain-specific studies showed the potential applicability of the a–b SDT model for approaching applied problems. From a theoretical and applied point of view, this research suggests that the traditional SDT contention that the detection and response processes are independent from each other does not hold true for either basic signal detection tasks or domain-specific areas.

Keywords:

• basic versus applied research
• signal detection
• decision making
• human-automation interaction
• cognitive engineering

Acknowledgement

The author thanks Dr Stephen Rice for providing the aerial images used in Experiment 3.