Computerized methods for collecting confidence ratings: Task influences on patterns of responding: Dataset

Retrospective confidence ratings and other judgments frequently are collected in computer-based psychology studies, but little research has investigated whether the method with which these ratings are collected influences the resulting data. To explore whether different confidence rating entry methods elicit different responses, 96 subjects were tested in a recognition memory paradigm. To rate confidence in recognition decisions from 0 - 100, half of the subjects used the numeric keypad on the keyboard to respond whereas the other half used an on-screen slider. Notably, whereas subjects using the numeric keypad frequently chose to enter confidence ratings divisible by 5 and 10, subjects using the slider showed no such preference but instead were more likely to accept the slider default value (i.e., 50) for each trial. The method with which confidence ratings are collected may have unintended consequences on confidence rating data and their interpretation.