Contextual Control of Perceptual Behavior

Abstract

This paper offers an experimental analysis of changes in perception. In doing so, the relative flexibility of a person's perception of color as a product of interacting with other colors will be demonstrated through a matching procedure in a training and testing methodology. The analysis focuses on how setting factors (i.e. color stimuli immediately preceding a test color stimulus) come to affect a person's behavior with respect to the test stimulus. We argue that what is present for a participant in interaction with a stimulus is a history of past interactions with other stimuli. Data obtained from the pilot investigation demonstrated extensive differentiation in responding during testing conditions as compared to training in four of five participants. Questions regarding the way in which pilot participants followed the instructions were raised and as a result a subsequent investigation was conducted to incorporate more explicit instructions and controls for the appearance of colors. Results from this investigation show response differentiation to a lesser extent then in the pilot, however, data obtained more closely resemble the subtle phenomena of perception.