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Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion

Author

Listed:
  • Andra Mihali

    (New York State Psychiatric Institute
    Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry)

  • Marianne Broeker

    (New York State Psychiatric Institute
    Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry
    Columbia University, Teachers College
    University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology)

  • Florian D. M. Ragalmuto

    (New York State Psychiatric Institute
    Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry
    Vrije Universiteit, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Science
    Berliner FortbildungsAkademie)

  • Guillermo Horga

    (New York State Psychiatric Institute
    Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry)

Abstract

Introspective agents can recognize the extent to which their internal perceptual experiences deviate from the actual states of the external world. This ability, also known as insight, is critically required for reality testing and is impaired in psychosis, yet little is known about its cognitive underpinnings. We develop a Bayesian modeling framework and a psychophysics paradigm to quantitatively characterize this type of insight while people experience a motion after-effect illusion. People can incorporate knowledge about the illusion into their decisions when judging the actual direction of a motion stimulus, compensating for the illusion (and often overcompensating). Furthermore, confidence, reaction-time, and pupil-dilation data all show signatures consistent with inferential adjustments in the Bayesian insight model. Our results suggest that people can question the veracity of what they see by making insightful inferences that incorporate introspective knowledge about internal distortions.

Suggested Citation

  • Andra Mihali & Marianne Broeker & Florian D. M. Ragalmuto & Guillermo Horga, 2023. "Introspective inference counteracts perceptual distortion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-24, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42813-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42813-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mehrdad Jazayeri & J. Anthony Movshon, 2007. "A new perceptual illusion reveals mechanisms of sensory decoding," Nature, Nature, vol. 446(7138), pages 912-915, April.
    2. Hsin-Hung Li & Wei Ji Ma, 2020. "Confidence reports in decision-making with multiple alternatives violate the Bayesian confidence hypothesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Timothy D. Hanks & Charles D. Kopec & Bingni W. Brunton & Chunyu A. Duan & Jeffrey C. Erlich & Carlos D. Brody, 2015. "Distinct relationships of parietal and prefrontal cortices to evidence accumulation," Nature, Nature, vol. 520(7546), pages 220-223, April.
    4. Marc O. Ernst & Martin S. Banks, 2002. "Humans integrate visual and haptic information in a statistically optimal fashion," Nature, Nature, vol. 415(6870), pages 429-433, January.
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