Signal Detection Analysis

Instructions
The goal of this assignment is to think critically about how signal detection theory applies to online
searching and web design. You will analyze a website via searching for information based on a given goal
and fictional scenario.
Step 1: Imagine that you are a student at the ASU Polytechnic Campus. Review the Polytechnic Campus
website Links to an external site. to orient yourself.
Step 2: Go to Yelp (Links to an external site.) and conduct a search. Your goal is to find the best pizza
restaurant near campus where you can make reservations for your study group of 10 students to meet
next Saturday night. Use a web browser on a computer for this task, do not use a mobile app or mobile
web browser.
Step 3: As a group, review Step 1 and Step 2. Discuss your experience conducting the online search and
how signal detection theory applies to your task in Step 2 and your interaction with the website.
Step 4: Write a short paper explaining how signal detection theory could be used to analyze your
experience. Include the authors names at the top of your paper.
Conclude your analysis with three recommendations for how Yelp could improve the website design to
help you achieve your goal.

Signal Detection Analysis

The theory of signal detection (SDT) is a fundamental basis for understanding the way decisions are made in the context of forced-choice tasks. It’s a technique to distinguish an individual’s capacity to discern whether stimuli are present or not, and their intensity (Wixted the 201st). SDT is typically used for studies that analyze data to identify unclear responses that are generated by a process that is known (signal) or simply by randomness. SDT could provide a valuable analysis of our research, which involved searching for the top pizza establishment in the vicinity for a small group of Utilizing SDT the task of our observers was to identify the presence or the absence of stimulus, and to distinguish a signal from the background noise. In this instance it is the amount of dining options available to select from, and noise was the random data that would appear on the search page that could be or not be related. Research conducted by Wixted indicates that people who participate in SDT generally have two dimensions: sensitivity as well as the bias in response (209).

Sensitivity is typically affected by processes that decrease the degree of uncertainty that exists of the stimulus. In our experience, sensitivity was the filtering feature on Yelp that allowed us to locate a restaurant that would be suitable for the study group. The filters we applied were whether the restaurant was suitable for a large number of people, and also the distance to the restaurant, as well as whether the restaurant had an eye-level view, in the immediate area or a walk distance of as long as two kilometers. Additionally, sorting restaurants based on the highest score allowed us to arrive at a conclusion quickly.