Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment
Abstract This paper theoretically and empirically investigates the role of noisy cognition in perceptual judgment, focusing on the central tendency effect: the well-known empirical regularity that perceptual judgments are biased towards the center of the stimulus distribution. Based o...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer US
2021
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/136729 |
| _version_ | 1811078955108663296 |
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| author | Xiang, Yang Graeber, Thomas Enke, Benjamin Gershman, Samuel J. |
| author_facet | Xiang, Yang Graeber, Thomas Enke, Benjamin Gershman, Samuel J. |
| author_sort | Xiang, Yang |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Abstract
This paper theoretically and empirically investigates the role of noisy cognition in perceptual judgment, focusing on the central tendency effect: the well-known empirical regularity that perceptual judgments are biased towards the center of the stimulus distribution. Based on a formal Bayesian framework, we generate predictions about the relationships between subjective confidence, central tendency, and response variability. Specifically, our model clarifies that lower subjective confidence as a measure of posterior uncertainty about a judgment should predict (i) a lower sensitivity of magnitude estimates to objective stimuli; (ii) a higher sensitivity to the mean of the stimulus distribution; (iii) a stronger central tendency effect at higher stimulus magnitudes; and (iv) higher response variability. To test these predictions, we collect a large-scale experimental data set and additionally re-analyze perceptual judgment data from several previous experiments. Across data sets, subjective confidence is strongly predictive of the central tendency effect and response variability, both correlationally and when we exogenously manipulate the magnitude of sensory noise. Our results are consistent with (but not necessarily uniquely explained by) Bayesian models of confidence and the central tendency. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:07:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/136729 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:07:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | Springer US |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1367292021-11-01T14:36:57Z Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment Xiang, Yang Graeber, Thomas Enke, Benjamin Gershman, Samuel J. Abstract This paper theoretically and empirically investigates the role of noisy cognition in perceptual judgment, focusing on the central tendency effect: the well-known empirical regularity that perceptual judgments are biased towards the center of the stimulus distribution. Based on a formal Bayesian framework, we generate predictions about the relationships between subjective confidence, central tendency, and response variability. Specifically, our model clarifies that lower subjective confidence as a measure of posterior uncertainty about a judgment should predict (i) a lower sensitivity of magnitude estimates to objective stimuli; (ii) a higher sensitivity to the mean of the stimulus distribution; (iii) a stronger central tendency effect at higher stimulus magnitudes; and (iv) higher response variability. To test these predictions, we collect a large-scale experimental data set and additionally re-analyze perceptual judgment data from several previous experiments. Across data sets, subjective confidence is strongly predictive of the central tendency effect and response variability, both correlationally and when we exogenously manipulate the magnitude of sensory noise. Our results are consistent with (but not necessarily uniquely explained by) Bayesian models of confidence and the central tendency. 2021-10-29T12:06:14Z 2021-10-29T12:06:14Z 2021-04-22 2021-09-24T03:33:08Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/136729 Xiang, Yang, Graeber, Thomas, Enke, Benjamin and Gershman, Samuel J. 2021. "Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment." en https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-021-02300-6 Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. The Psychonomic Society, Inc. application/pdf Springer US Springer US |
| spellingShingle | Xiang, Yang Graeber, Thomas Enke, Benjamin Gershman, Samuel J. Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment |
| title | Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment |
| title_full | Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment |
| title_fullStr | Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment |
| title_short | Confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment |
| title_sort | confidence and central tendency in perceptual judgment |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/136729 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiangyang confidenceandcentraltendencyinperceptualjudgment AT graeberthomas confidenceandcentraltendencyinperceptualjudgment AT enkebenjamin confidenceandcentraltendencyinperceptualjudgment AT gershmansamuelj confidenceandcentraltendencyinperceptualjudgment |