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A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR CONFLICTING JUDGEMENTS CAUSED BY STRESS, APPLIED TO POSSIBLE MISESTIMATIONS OF SPEED CAUSED BY ALCOHOL
Author(s) -
Zeeman E. C.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
british journal of mathematical and statistical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.157
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 2044-8317
pISSN - 0007-1102
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8317.1976.tb00700.x
Subject(s) - cusp (singularity) , catastrophe theory , stress (linguistics) , perception , computer science , psychology , mathematics , engineering , geometry , linguistics , philosophy , geotechnical engineering , neuroscience
A mathematical model is proposed, based on catastrophe theory, to describe the qualitative effect of stress upon the neural mechanisms used for making judgements, such as estimating speed. The model is used quantitatively to fit data, and to explain the cusp‐shaped results of Drew et al. (1959), showing that introverts under alcohol tend to drive either too fast or too slow in a driving simulator. Experiments are suggested in which discontinuous jumps in perception of continuous variables like speed might well appear.