2025

Burgio, I., Moscoso, P. A. M., Anobile, G., & Castaldi, E.

Stronger reliance on visual perceptual history in individuals with higher math anxiety.

BMC Biology, 23(1), 305

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02417-2 Download

Perception is inferential, relying not only on current sensory input but also on prior knowledge. When sensory input is unreliable, history effects such as central tendency and serial dependence smooth out noise by combining previous and current stimuli. These processes support perceptual continuity but also introduce biases, making the current stimulus appear erroneously similar to the previous one. Despite being observed in many perceptual domains, the mechanisms underlying these dynamic processes remain debated. Although perceptual, cognitive, and developmental factors have been studied, the influence of psychological traits has received little attention. In this study, we compared serial dependence and central tendency effects measured with a visual numerosity task across individuals with different levels of math anxiety.