Abstract
Three experiments were conducted to investigate the previously reported finding that the accuracy of perceptual recognition decreases as the amount of experience with degraded versions of a visual stimulus increases. Since this result is apparently predictable only from the view of perception as an active process of hypothesis generation, this negative-effect-of-prior-experience phenomenon has important implications for theoretical conceptualizations of perception. None of the current experiments yielded any evidence of less accurate perceptual identification with increased number of incomplete versions of the stimuli when accuracy was assessed with a cumulative measure of identification accuracy, but two of the experiments did provide such evidence when accuracy was assessed with a conditional measure of accuracy. Consideration of the complete pattern of results led to the conclusion that there is no real evidence that perception is impaired because of early experience with ambiguous versions of a subject.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allport, F. H. Theories of perception and the concept of structure. New York: Wiley, 1955.
Boring, E. G. Sensation and perception in the history of experimental psychology. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1942.
Bruner, J. S., & Potter, M. C. Interference in visual recognition. Science, 1964, 144, 424–425.
Gregory, R. L. The intelligent eye. New York: McGraw-Hill,1970.
Gregory, R. L. Choosing a paradigm for perception. In E. C. Carterette & M. P. Friedman (Eds.), Handbook of perception: Historical and philosophical roots of perception (Vol. 1). New York: Academic Press, 1974.
Potter, M. C. On perceptual recognition. In J. S. Bruner, R. R. Olver, & P. M. Greenfield (Eds.), Studies in cognitive growth. New York: Wiley, 1966.
Wyatt, D. F., & Campbell, D. T. On the liability of stereotype or hypothesis. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1951, 46, 496–500.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by a grant to the senior author from the Research Council of the Graduate School, University of Missouri, Columbia, and by NIA Grant AG-00008, administered by J. Botwinick, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63103.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Salthouse, T.A., Danziger, W.L. Perception as hypothesis testing. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 11, 197–199 (1978). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336807
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336807