The influence of statistical regularity on perception

Center, Evan

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/108155 Copy

Description

Title

The influence of statistical regularity on perception

Author(s)

Center, Evan

Issue Date

2020-05-06

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Beck, Diane M

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Beck, Diane M

Committee Member(s)

• Fabiani, Monica
• Federmeier, Kara D
• Gratton, Gabriele
• Hummel, John E

Department of Study

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• statistical regularity
• perception
• attention
• predictive coding
• time perception
• ERP
• N300
• N3

Abstract

A traditional serial model of visual awareness begins with sensory input undergoing rudimentary processing in the peripheral nervous system, then traveling to the central nervous system’s subcortical structures and progressing through the visual cortex for progressively more complex forms of processing, and, only then, makes contact with memory systems. Recent models of visual awareness challenge both the sequence and linearity of this traditional model. In three sets of experiments I advocate for a recursive model whereby perception does not terminate in a memory representation but instead is dependent on a form of memory representation upfront, such that previously existing representations play an active role in shaping ongoing perception. I argue that experience builds a representation of statistical regularity of the environment into the brain and that the brain takes advantage of these learned representations when attempting to make sense of incoming stimuli. Experiment 1 replicates and expands upon previous research showing that statistically regular items are better perceived. Experiment 2 describes the effect of statistical regularity on time perception, whereby statistically regular items are perceived as lasting longer in duration than statistically irregular items. Finally, Experiment 3 asks whether processing of statistical regularity requires attention and provides evidence that the brain makes implicit distinctions based on statistical regularity even when attention is directed elsewhere.

Graduation Semester

2020-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108155

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2020 Evan Center

Owning Collections