Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026
08:12
A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments
Published on: March 1, 2022
3.0K
Functional correlates of likelihood and prior representations in a virtual distance task
Martin Wiener1, Kelly Michaelis2, James C Thompson1
1Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.
Human Brain Mapping
|May 12, 2016
Summary
Human spatial navigation involves balancing current sensory input with past experiences. Brain imaging reveals distinct neural activity in the retrosplenial cortex and hippocampus during distance reproduction tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Spatial Navigation
Background:
- Spatial navigation is crucial for reaching destinations.
- Humans balance sensory noise and past travel history for distance estimation.
- Bayesian estimation models this tradeoff, but neural underpinnings are unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the neural correlates of Bayesian estimation in human distance reproduction.
- Identify brain regions involved in balancing current experience with prior knowledge during navigation.
Main Methods:
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during a virtual reality distance reproduction task.
- Subjects reproduced distances without external navigational cues.
- Computational analysis of central tendency effects and brain activity.
Main Results:
- Observed a central tendency effect: reproduced distances shifted towards the average.
- Identified distance-sensitive activity in prefrontal and hippocampal networks.
- Retrosplenial cortex activity negatively correlated with central tendency; anterior hippocampus/amygdala activity positively correlated.
Conclusions:
- Dissociable roles for retrosplenial cortex and hippocampus in distance reproduction.
- These regions, with prefrontal cortex, integrate past environmental history with present experience.
- Findings elucidate neural mechanisms of Bayesian estimation in spatial navigation.
Related Concept Videos
02:13The Representativeness Heuristic
17.0K
The representative heuristic describes a biased way of thinking, in which you unintentionally stereotype someone or something. For example, you may assume that your professors spend their free time reading books and engaging in intellectual conversation, because the idea of them spending their time playing volleyball or visiting an amusement park does not fit in with your stereotypes of professors.
17.0K
01:22Factors Influencing Attraction I: Proximity
348
Proximity plays a fundamental role in shaping interpersonal attraction by increasing opportunities for interaction and fostering familiarity. Research consistently demonstrates that individuals are more likely to form social bonds with those who are physically closer to them, whether in residential settings, workplaces, or educational institutions. This effect is largely driven by the increased frequency of encounters, which facilitates the development of friendships and romantic...
348
01:29Distance Problem
132
When an object's velocity changes over time, the total distance traveled can be determined by summing small displacement intervals over short increments. This approach approximates the true distance through numerical summation and the use of integral calculus. An estimate of the total displacement can be obtained by measuring velocity at regular intervals and multiplying each value by the corresponding time step.If a runner accelerates over the first three seconds of a race, speed measurements...
132
01:26Causes of Similarity-Dissimilarity Effect
329
The similarity-dissimilarity effect, a fundamental concept in social psychology, explains how interpersonal similarities and differences influence attraction and social interactions. This effect is supported by three key psychological perspectives: balance theory, social comparison theory, and consensual validation.Balance Theory and Cognitive ConsistencyBalance theory, developed by Fritz Heider, posits that individuals seek cognitive consistency in their relationships. When two people share...
329
01:08The Availability Heuristic
7.3K
A heuristic is a general problem-solving framework (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). You can think of these as mental shortcuts that are used to solve problems. Different types of heuristics are used in different types of situations, and the impulse to use a heuristic occurs when one of five conditions is met (Pratkanis, 1989):
7.3K
01:23Factors Influencing Attraction III: Similarity
894
The similarity hypothesis suggests that individuals are more likely to form relationships with others who share similar attitudes, beliefs, values, and interests. This concept has been widely studied in social psychology, demonstrating that perceived similarity fosters interpersonal attraction. In an experiment supporting this hypothesis, participants were presented with fabricated information indicating that strangers held attitudes similar to their own. The results showed that participants...
894