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Human Factors Minute(Presented by Human Factors Cast) Author: Human Factors Cast
Step into the world of Human Factors and UX with the Human Factors Minute podcast! Each episode is like a mini-crash course in all things related to the field, packed with valuable insights and information in just one minute. From organizations and conferences to theories, models, and tools, we've got you covered. Whether you're a practitioner, student or just a curious mind, this podcast is the perfect way to stay ahead of the curve and impress your colleagues with your knowledge. Tune in on the 10th, 20th, and last day of every month for a new and interesting tidbit related to Human Factors. Join us as we explore the field and discover how fun and engaging learning about Human Factors can be! Language: en Genres: Science, Social Sciences, Technology Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Scalar Expectancy Theory
Episode 122
Friday, 10 April, 2026
...and now for another Human Factors Minute! Scalar Expectancy Theory, or SET, is an important model of animal timing behavior credited to John Gibbon in the late 1900s. The idea of SET is that animals have an internal clock and particular memory and decision-making processes, which explains why their behavior can be temporally controlled using fixed-interval reinforcement. The scalar part of SET comes from how animals compare the current time (held in their working memory) to the expected time (held in their reference memory). When the ratio is small enough, the animal performs the behavior. When the ratio is big enough, the animal stops doing the behavior. This ratio allows for the observation that animal timing accuracy is relative to the size of the interval being timed. Although Gibbon’s theory was intended to apply only to animals, John Wearden claimed that SET could also be applied to humans. However, human behavior has much more variability than animal behavior does, mostly due to our attentional allocation, so this application is somewhat debated. While SET was one of the first models of timing, it is not the only one: there are many alternative models of timing, some based on SET and some completely different. When using SET, it is important to keep in mind that it might not work for all durations, and some psychologists argue that it is inconsistent when it comes to explaining the location of temporal indifference point in temporal bisection procedure. This has been another Human Factors Minute! Be sure to check out our main show at our official website: https://www.humanfactorscast.media Support us on these platforms to get access to the entire Human Factors Minute library: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/humanfactorscast Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hfactorspodcast Join us on Discord:https://go.humanfactorscast.media/Discord Follow us: Human Factors Cast Merchandise Store: https://www.humanfactorscast.media/p/Store/ Follow us on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/HumanFactorsCast Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HumanFactorsCast Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanfactorscast Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HFactorsPodcast Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumanFactorsCast Resources: Music by Kevin McLeod: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/Mentioned in this episode:Support us on Patreon for access to the full library of Human Factors Minutehttps://www.patreon.com/humanfactorscast
