The Leaky Integrating Threshold and its impact on evidence accumulation models of choice response time (RT).

A common assumption in choice response time (RT) modeling is that after evidence accumulation reaches a certain decision threshold, the categorically communicated to motor system then executes response. However, neurophysiological findings suggest preparation partly overlaps with accumulation, and not independent from stimulus difficulty level. We propose model this entanglement by changing nature of criterion simple threshold an actual process. More specifically, we secondary, related, leaky process takes accumulated original as continuous input, triggers when it its own threshold. analytically develop Leaky Integrating Threshold (LIT), applying constant drift diffusion model, show how parameters can be estimated D*M method. Reanalyzing 3 different data sets, LIT extension shown outperform standard using multiple statistical approaches. Further, leak parameter better at explaining speed/accuracy trade-off manipulation than commonly used boundary separation parameter. These improvements also verified traditional analyses, for which predicts violation several selective influence assumptions. predictions are consistent what found reported experimentally literature. Crucially, work offers new benchmark against compare neural offer neurobiological validation proposed processes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).