A measure of the interference effect distribution

• Gajdos Thibault
• Servant Mathieu
• Hasbroucq Thierry
• Davranche Karen

• Delta plots
• Conflict tasks
• Interference effect
• Mental chronometry

We elaborated an index, the Interference Distribution Index, which allows quantifying the relation between response times and the size of the interference effect. This index is associated with an intuitive graphical representation, the Lorenz-interference plot. We show that this index has some convenient properties in terms of sensitivity to changes in the distribution of the interference effect and to aggregation of individual data. Moreover, it turns out that this index is the only one (up to an arbitrary increasing transformation) possessing these properties. The relevance of this index is illustrated through simulations of a cognitive model of interference effects and reanalysis of experimental data.