Response time distributions in partially-coherent quantum walk models for simple decision tasks

Abstract

Psychological models for two-choice decision tasks typically model the probability that a particular response is made at time t via the first-passage time to an absorbing boundary for some stochastic process. In contrast to the most commonly used models which use classical random walks for the underlying process, a recent paper by Busemeyer, Wang, and Townsend (2006) proposed that quantum walks may provide an interesting alternative. In this paper, we extend this work by introducing a class of partially-coherent quantum walk models that can be applied to human two-choice tasks. The models trace out a path from quantum to classical models, preserving some of the desirable features of both. We discuss the properties of these models, and the implications for modeling simple decisions.