Different staircase-analysis methods yield different minimum audible angle estimates

Evidence

An adaptive three-interval, three-alternative forced-choice (3-AFC) discrimination procedure, coupled with a one-up-two-down staircase rule tracking the 70.7 %-correct point on the underlying psychometric function, was used. In each trial, three consecutive stimuli were presented. Two represented the reference incidence angle (0° or 120°) and one represented the variable angle (the ‘target’) determined by the adaptive procedure. … The final MAA threshold estimate was calculated based on the median of the last three lower reversal points during a run. On average, this method provides a threshold value, which is lower than that produced by e.g. Levitt ( 1971 ) or Neher et al. ( 2011 ). However, data inspection indicated that both of these alternate methods could lead to misleading results if a test subject had been performing unreliably during parts of the run. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3061