PisaVisionLab

Adriana Fiorentini: un insegnamento di metodo da una signora della scienza

di Marco Piccolino, da Naturalmente - fatti e trame delle Scienze (Febbraio 2020)

[..] Adriana ci ha lasciati quattro anni fa, il 29 di febbraio del 2016, ma il ricordo di lei forte in chi tra di noi l’ha conosciuta direttamente e in particolare in chi ha trascorso vicino a lei anni importanti della propria vita, di ricerca o di impegno sociale. Il rimpianto si fa a volte particolarmente acuto e riaffiorano allora ricordi, occasioni, momenti particolari che ce la fanno rivivere accanto [...] 

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New Research published on Journal of Vision!

Congratulation to David who just published a new paper on Journal of Vision!

Kim, S., Burr, D. & Alais, D. (2019). Attraction to the recent past in aesthetic judgments: A positive serial dependence for rating artwork, Journal of Vision, 12 (19), 19. PDF

Visual perception can be systematically biased towards the recent past. Many stimulus attributes—including orientation, numerosity, facial expression and attractiveness, and perceived slimness—are systematically biased towards recent past experience. This phenomenon has been termed serial dependence. In the current study, we tested whether serial dependence occurs for aesthetic ratings of artworks. A set of 100 paintings depicting scenery and still life was collected from online archives. For each participant, 40 paintings were randomly selected from the set, and presented sequentially 20 times in random order. Serial dependence was quantified for each observer by measuring how their rating response on each trial depended on the attractiveness of the previous trial. The data were pooled across participants and fitted with a Bayesian model of serial dependence. Results showed that the current painting earned significantly higher aesthetic ratings when participants viewed a more attractive painting on the previous trial, compared to when they viewed a less attractive one. The magnitude of serial dependence was greatest when the attractiveness distance between consecutive paintings was relatively close. The effect held both for 1 s exposure times, and for brief 250 ms exposures (followed by a mask). These findings show that aesthetic judgments are not sequentially independent, showing that positive serial dependencies are not limited to low-level perceptual judgments.

 Thank you to all who attended the GenPercept KickOff meeting in Matera!!!

New Research published on Journal of Vision!

Congratulation to David who just published a new paper on Journal of Vision!

Kim, S., Burr, D. & Alais, D. (2019). Attraction to the recent past in aesthetic judgments: A positive serial dependence for rating artwork, Journal of Vision, 12 (19), 19. PDF

Visual perception can be systematically biased towards the recent past. Many stimulus attributes—including orientation, numerosity, facial expression and attractiveness, and perceived slimness—are systematically biased towards recent past experience. This phenomenon has been termed serial dependence. In the current study, we tested whether serial dependence occurs for aesthetic ratings of artworks. A set of 100 paintings depicting scenery and still life was collected from online archives. For each participant, 40 paintings were randomly selected from the set, and presented sequentially 20 times in random order. Serial dependence was quantified for each observer by measuring how their rating response on each trial depended on the attractiveness of the previous trial. The data were pooled across participants and fitted with a Bayesian model of serial dependence. Results showed that the current painting earned significantly higher aesthetic ratings when participants viewed a more attractive painting on the previous trial, compared to when they viewed a less attractive one. The magnitude of serial dependence was greatest when the attractiveness distance between consecutive paintings was relatively close. The effect held both for 1 s exposure times, and for brief 250 ms exposures (followed by a mask). These findings show that aesthetic judgments are not sequentially independent, showing that positive serial dependencies are not limited to low-level perceptual judgments.

New Research published on Attention, Perception & Psychophysics!

Congratulation to Antonella, Giovanni, Marco and Daivid for their last publication on Attention, Perception & Psychophysics!

Pomè, A., Anobile, G., Cicchini, G. M., Scabia, A. & Burr, D. C. (2019). Higher attentional costs for numerosity estimation at high densities, Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, PDF

Humans can estimate numerosity over a large range, but the precision with which they do so varies considerably over that range. For very small sets, within the subitizing range of up to about four items, estimation is rapid and errorless. For intermediate numerosities, errors vary directly with the numerosity, following Weber’s law, but for very high numerosities, with very dense patterns, thresholds continue to rise with the square root of numerosity. This suggests that three different mechanisms operate over the number range. In this study we provide further evidence for three distinct numerosity mechanisms, by studying their dependence on attentional resources. We measured discrimination thresholds over a wide range of numerosities, while manipulating attentional load with both visual and auditory dual tasks. The results show that attentional effects on thresholds vary over the number range. Both visual and auditory attentional loads strongly affect subitizing, much more than for larger numerosities. Attentional costs remain stable over the estimation range, then rise again for very dense patterns. These results reinforce the idea that numerosity is processed by three separates but probably overlapping systems.

New Research published on Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience!

Congratulation to Alessandro, Concetta and Alice who just published a new paper on Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience!

Benedetto, A., Morrone, C. & Tomassini, A. (2019). The Common Rhythm of Action and Perception., Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, PDF

Research in the last decade has undermined the idea of perception as a continuous process, providing strong empirical support for its rhythmic modulation. More recently, it has been revealed that the ongoing motor processes influence the rhythmic sampling of sensory information. In this review, we will focus on a growing body of evidence suggesting that oscillation-based mechanisms may structure the dynamic interplay between the motor and sensory system and provide a unified temporal frame for their effective coordination. We will describe neurophysiological data, primarily collected in animals, showing phase-locking of neuronal oscillations to the onset of (eye) movements. These data are complemented by novel evidence in humans, which demonstrate the behavioral relevance of these oscillatory modulations and their domain-general nature. Finally, we will discuss the possible implications of these modulations for action-perception coupling mechanisms.

New Research published on Behavioral and Brain Sciences!

Congratulation to Marco and David who just published a new paper on Behavioral and Brain Science!

Cicchini, G. M. & Burr, D. (2018). Serial Effects are optimal, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, (41), PDF

In the target article, Rahnev & Denison (R&D) use serial effects as an example of suboptimality. We show here that serial effects can be beneficial to perception, serving to reduce both error and response times in a near-optimal fashion. Furthermore, serial effects for stable attributes are positive, whereas those for changeable attributes are negative, demonstrating that they are engaged flexibly to optimize performance.