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The pupil responds spontaneously to perceived numerosity

Author

Listed:
  • Elisa Castaldi

    (University of Pisa
    University of Florence)

  • Antonella Pomè

    (University of Florence)

  • Guido Marco Cicchini

    (Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council)

  • David Burr

    (University of Florence
    University of Sydney)

  • Paola Binda

    (University of Pisa)

Abstract

Although luminance is the main determinant of pupil size, the amplitude of the pupillary light response is also modulated by stimulus appearance and attention. Here we ask whether perceived numerosity modulates the pupillary light response. Participants passively observed arrays of black or white dots of matched physical luminance but different physical or illusory numerosity. In half the patterns, pairs of dots were connected by lines to create dumbbell-like shapes, inducing an illusory underestimation of perceived numerosity; in the other half, connectors were either displaced or removed. Constriction to white arrays and dilation to black were stronger for patterns with higher perceived numerosity, either physical or illusory, with the strength of the pupillary light response scaling with the perceived numerosity of the arrays. Our results show that even without an explicit task, numerosity modulates a simple automatic reflex, suggesting that numerosity is a spontaneously encoded visual feature.

Suggested Citation

  • Elisa Castaldi & Antonella Pomè & Guido Marco Cicchini & David Burr & Paola Binda, 2021. "The pupil responds spontaneously to perceived numerosity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-26261-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26261-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Guido Marco Cicchini & Giovanni Anobile & David C. Burr, 2016. "Spontaneous perception of numerosity in humans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, November.
    2. Ben M. Harvey & Serge O. Dumoulin, 2017. "A network of topographic numerosity maps in human association cortex," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(2), pages 1-9, February.
    3. Stephen Ferrigno & Julian Jara-Ettinger & Steven T. Piantadosi & Jessica F. Cantlon, 2017. "Universal and uniquely human factors in spontaneous number perception," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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