Components of visual bias: a multiplicative hypothesis

Claus Bundesen; Signe Allerup Vangkilde; Thomas Habekost

doi:10.1111/nyas.12665

Components of visual bias: a multiplicative hypothesis

Claus Bundesen, Signe Allerup Vangkilde, Thomas Habekost

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Attentional selection can be viewed as having two aspects: selection with respect to particular objects and selection with respect to particular categories. Both aspects are mathematically modeled in the theory of visual attention (TVA). In this paper, we expand the rate equation of the TVA and propose that the visual bias toward seeing an object x as a member of category i is a product of three factors: the expectancy (prior probability) of being presented with members of category i, the subjective importance (utility) of seeing objects in category i as members of that category, and the general level of alertness. Together, the three factors also determine the level of arousal in the visual system. The hypothesized multiplicative interaction between the three components of visual bias seems consistent with the function of an ideal observer and also paves the way for a Bayesian interpretation of the TVA.

Original language	English
Journal	Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Volume	1339
Pages (from-to)	116-124
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0077-8923
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12665
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2015

Keywords

Faculty of Social Sciences
visual attention
perceptual bias
feature-based attention
Bayesian theory
TVA

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T2 - a multiplicative hypothesis

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AU - Habekost, Thomas

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N2 - Attentional selection can be viewed as having two aspects: selection with respect to particular objects and selection with respect to particular categories. Both aspects are mathematically modeled in the theory of visual attention (TVA). In this paper, we expand the rate equation of the TVA and propose that the visual bias toward seeing an object x as a member of category i is a product of three factors: the expectancy (prior probability) of being presented with members of category i, the subjective importance (utility) of seeing objects in category i as members of that category, and the general level of alertness. Together, the three factors also determine the level of arousal in the visual system. The hypothesized multiplicative interaction between the three components of visual bias seems consistent with the function of an ideal observer and also paves the way for a Bayesian interpretation of the TVA.

AB - Attentional selection can be viewed as having two aspects: selection with respect to particular objects and selection with respect to particular categories. Both aspects are mathematically modeled in the theory of visual attention (TVA). In this paper, we expand the rate equation of the TVA and propose that the visual bias toward seeing an object x as a member of category i is a product of three factors: the expectancy (prior probability) of being presented with members of category i, the subjective importance (utility) of seeing objects in category i as members of that category, and the general level of alertness. Together, the three factors also determine the level of arousal in the visual system. The hypothesized multiplicative interaction between the three components of visual bias seems consistent with the function of an ideal observer and also paves the way for a Bayesian interpretation of the TVA.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - visual attention

KW - perceptual bias

KW - feature-based attention

KW - Bayesian theory

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JO - Annals of The Lyceum of Natural History of New York

JF - Annals of The Lyceum of Natural History of New York

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Components of visual bias: a multiplicative hypothesis

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Keywords

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