Number Adaptation Can Be Dissociated From Density Adaptation. 2020

Kevin DeSimone, and Minjung Kim, and Richard F Murray
Department of Psychology, York University.

Rapidly judging the number of objects in a scene is an important perceptual ability. Recent debates have centered on whether number perception is accomplished by dedicated mechanisms and, in particular, on whether number-adaptation aftereffects reflect adaptation of number per se or adaptation of related stimulus properties, such as density. Here, we report an adaptation experiment (N = 8) for which the predictions of number and density theories are diametrically opposed. We found that when a reference stimulus has higher density than an adaptation stimulus but contains fewer elements, adaptation reduces the perceived number of elements in the reference stimulus. This is consistent with number adaptation and inconsistent with density adaptation. Thus, number-adaptation aftereffects are more than a by-product of density adaptation: When density and number are dissociated, adaptation effects are in the direction predicted by adaptation to number, not density.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010775 Photic Stimulation Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity. Stimulation, Photic,Visual Stimulation,Photic Stimulations,Stimulation, Visual,Stimulations, Photic,Stimulations, Visual,Visual Stimulations
D011601 Psychophysics The science dealing with the correlation of the physical characteristics of a stimulus, e.g., frequency or intensity, with the response to the stimulus, in order to assess the psychologic factors involved in the relationship. Psychophysic
D005366 Figural Aftereffect A perceptual phenomenon used by Gestalt psychologists to demonstrate that events in one part of the perceptual field may affect perception in another part. Aftereffect, Figural,Aftereffects, Figural,Figural Aftereffects
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000222 Adaptation, Physiological The non-genetic biological changes of an organism in response to challenges in its ENVIRONMENT. Adaptation, Physiologic,Adaptations, Physiologic,Adaptations, Physiological,Adaptive Plasticity,Phenotypic Plasticity,Physiological Adaptation,Physiologic Adaptation,Physiologic Adaptations,Physiological Adaptations,Plasticity, Adaptive,Plasticity, Phenotypic

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