Numerosity estimation with successive presentation: item organization.

Previous studies have shown that, with simultaneous presentation, highly organized patterns were overestimated in number compared with random patterns. In an exploratory attempt to apply Das et al.'s model of simultaneous and successive cognitive processes to perception, 62 Ss were asked to estimate the number of items presented visually one at a time. A rate of one item per second was used, and Ss were required to read each item aloud in order to prevent counting. When the stimuli were digits, no difference was found in the estimates for sets of stimuli containing high information vs those containing low information. When words were used as stimuli, estimates were significantly lower for words in sentences than for the same words in random order.