Eye movements reveal distinct encoding patterns for number and cumulative surface area in random dot arrays.

ABSTRACT: Humans can quickly and intuitively represent the number of objects in a scene using visual evidence through the Approximate Number System (ANS). But the computations that support the encoding of visual number-the transformation from the retinal input into ANS representations-remain controversial. Two types of number encoding theories have been proposed: those arguing that number is encoded through a dedicated, enumeration computation, and those arguing that visual number is inferred from nonnumber specific visual features, such as surface area, density, convex hull, etc. Here, we attempt to adjudicate between these two theories by testing participants on both a number and a cumulative area task while also tracking their eye-movements. We hypothesize that if approximate number and surface a

SUBMITTER: Odic D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4654224 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature