Cognitive Neuroscience (INM3), Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Research Centre Juelich, Germany.
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Cologne, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2016 Sep 21;6:32810. doi: 10.1038/srep32810.
While some researchers propose the existence of a special numerosity sense, others challenge this view and argue that numerosity is derived from low-level features as density information. Here, we used size adaptation to manipulate the apparent area size of an object set without changing its physical density. After size adaptation, two probe patches were shown, each of which contained a specific numerosity of dots. Subjects were required to report, which probe patch contained more dots. Numerosity perception was compared between conditions where probe patches were adapted to appear smaller or larger. Size adaptation affected numerosity perception in a logarithmic fashion, increasing with the numerosity in the probe patch. No changes in density perception were found after size adaptation. Data suggest that size and density information play only a minor role in the estimation of low numerosities. In stark contrast, high numerosities strongly depend on size and density information. The data reinforce recent claims of separate mechanism for the perception of low and high numerosities.
虽然一些研究人员提出了存在特殊数量感的观点，但也有其他研究人员对此提出质疑，认为数量是由低水平特征（如密度信息）得出的。在这里，我们使用大小适应来操纵物体集合的表观区域大小，而不改变其物理密度。在大小适应后，显示了两个探测补丁，每个补丁都包含特定数量的点。要求受试者报告哪个探测补丁包含更多的点。在探测补丁适应显示为更小或更大的条件下比较数量感知。大小适应以对数方式影响数量感知，随着探测补丁中的数量增加而增加。在大小适应后没有发现密度感知的变化。数据表明，大小和密度信息在低数量的估计中只起次要作用。相比之下，高数量强烈依赖于大小和密度信息。这些数据支持了最近关于低数量和高数量感知的分离机制的说法。
