Response bias in numerosity perception at early judgments and systematic underestimation

Abstract

Mental number representation relies on mapping numerosity based on nonsymbolic stimuli to symbolic magnitudes. It is known that mental number representation builds on a logarithmic scale, and thus numerosity decisions result in underestimation. In the current study, we investigated the temporal dynamics of numerosity perception in four experiments by employing the response-deadline SAT procedure. We presented random number of dots and required participants to make a numerosity judgment by comparing the perceived number of dots to 50. Using temporal dynamics in numerosity perception allowed us to observe a response bias at early decisions and a systematic underestimation at late decisions. In all three experiments, providing feedback diminished the magnitude of underestimation, whereas in Experiment 3 the absence of feedback resulted in greater underestimation errors. These results were in accordance with the findings that suggested feedback is necessary for the calibration of the mental number representation.