Robert asks Thomas if he heard a knock at the door, and Thomas says that he did not. Robert, swearing he heard a knock, goes to the door and opens it, but there is no one there. Signal detection theorists would label Robert's perception that someone knocked at the door as a ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Robert's perception of a knock when there was none is considered a false alarm in signal detection theory, as he responded to a non-existent signal.

Robert Asks Thomas If He Heard a Knock at the Door