Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion
Abstract Introspective agents can recognize the extent to which their internal perceptual experiences deviate from the actual states of the external world. This ability, also known as insight, is critically required for reality testing and is impaired in psychosis, yet little is known about its cogn...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42813-2 |
| _version_ | 1797414601272328192 |
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| author | Andra Mihali Marianne Broeker Florian D. M. Ragalmuto Guillermo Horga |
| author_facet | Andra Mihali Marianne Broeker Florian D. M. Ragalmuto Guillermo Horga |
| author_sort | Andra Mihali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introspective agents can recognize the extent to which their internal perceptual experiences deviate from the actual states of the external world. This ability, also known as insight, is critically required for reality testing and is impaired in psychosis, yet little is known about its cognitive underpinnings. We develop a Bayesian modeling framework and a psychophysics paradigm to quantitatively characterize this type of insight while people experience a motion after-effect illusion. People can incorporate knowledge about the illusion into their decisions when judging the actual direction of a motion stimulus, compensating for the illusion (and often overcompensating). Furthermore, confidence, reaction-time, and pupil-dilation data all show signatures consistent with inferential adjustments in the Bayesian insight model. Our results suggest that people can question the veracity of what they see by making insightful inferences that incorporate introspective knowledge about internal distortions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:35:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ecb7b4d769e4d63905e28c8abf2cf55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:35:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ecb7b4d769e4d63905e28c8abf2cf552023-12-03T12:29:01ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-11-0114112410.1038/s41467-023-42813-2Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortionAndra Mihali0Marianne Broeker1Florian D. M. Ragalmuto2Guillermo Horga3New York State Psychiatric InstituteNew York State Psychiatric InstituteNew York State Psychiatric InstituteNew York State Psychiatric InstituteAbstract Introspective agents can recognize the extent to which their internal perceptual experiences deviate from the actual states of the external world. This ability, also known as insight, is critically required for reality testing and is impaired in psychosis, yet little is known about its cognitive underpinnings. We develop a Bayesian modeling framework and a psychophysics paradigm to quantitatively characterize this type of insight while people experience a motion after-effect illusion. People can incorporate knowledge about the illusion into their decisions when judging the actual direction of a motion stimulus, compensating for the illusion (and often overcompensating). Furthermore, confidence, reaction-time, and pupil-dilation data all show signatures consistent with inferential adjustments in the Bayesian insight model. Our results suggest that people can question the veracity of what they see by making insightful inferences that incorporate introspective knowledge about internal distortions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42813-2 |
| spellingShingle | Andra Mihali Marianne Broeker Florian D. M. Ragalmuto Guillermo Horga Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion Nature Communications |
| title | Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion |
| title_full | Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion |
| title_fullStr | Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion |
| title_full_unstemmed | Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion |
| title_short | Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion |
| title_sort | introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42813-2 |
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