| Abstract: | Discusses 2 hypotheses concerning the explanation of increasing perceptual performance with temporal repetition of tachistoscopically-presented visual stimuli. R. N. Haber's conception in terms of increasing phenomenal clarity is criticized, primarily for the confounding influence of the "stimulus error." An alternative explanation in terms of the perceptual independence of successive inputs is presented. The assumption of independence is built into a model that combines aspects of C. W. Eriksen's "clearest form" approach with Bayesian decision theory. 4 items of support for independence are presented. Eriksen found (a) no effect of interstimulus interval on accuracy; and (b) no difference in accuracy whether a form was preceded by the same or a different form, or by a flash. Previous studies by the present authors found (a) lack of influence of the locus on an inconsistent stimulus in a sequence, and (b) quite accurate Bayesian predictions of multiple observation performance in 3 experiments using equal prior probabilities of the stimulus states. (39 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
