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bioRxiv · 10.1101/393470

The relative contribution of color and material in object selection

Radonjic, A.·Cottaris, N. P.·Brainard, D.
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Abstract

Information about color, material, texture and shape guide how we interact with objects. We developed a paradigm that quantifies how two object properties (color and material) combine in object selection. On each experimental trial, observers viewed three blob-shaped objects -- the target and two tests -- and selected the test that was more similar to the target. Across trials the target was fixed while the tests varied in color and material. We present a novel observer model that allows us to describe observers selection data in terms of (1) the underlying perceptual stimulus representation and (2) a color-material weight, which quantifies the relative importance of color vs. material in selection. We document large individual differences in the color-material weight. Furthermore, our analyses reveal limits on how precisely selection data simultaneously constrain perceptual representations and the color-material weight. These limits should guide future efforts towards understanding the multidimensional nature of object perception.

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Radonjic, A., Cottaris, N. P., Brainard, D.. 2018-08-16. The relative contribution of color and material in object selection. https://doi.org/10.1101/393470

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