Metacognitive Accuracy Improves With the Perceptual Learning of a Low- but Not High-Level Face Property

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Visual Perception
• Metacognition

Background:

• Visual perceptual learning (VPL) enhances performance with experience.
• VPL may improve metacognition, indicating better conscious access to decision-making knowledge.
• Previous studies lacked control for objective task accuracy, a confounder for metacognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if VPL improves metacognitive accuracy in perceptual decision-making.
• To control for objective task accuracy using a staircase method during VPL training.
• To differentiate the effects of VPL on high-level (identity) versus low-level (contrast) visual features.

Main Methods:

• Subjects trained for 3 days to discriminate faces by identity or contrast.
• A staircase method maintained constant objective accuracy across training.
• Perceptual thresholds were measured to confirm VPL.
• Metacognitive accuracy was assessed after VPL training.

Main Results:

• Perceptual thresholds decreased in both identity and contrast tasks, confirming VPL.
• Metacognitive accuracy was unaffected by contrast VPL.
• Metacognitive accuracy decreased following identity VPL.
• Findings support a dual-stage signal detection model.

Conclusions:

• VPL of face contrast improved conscious knowledge accessibility.
• VPL of face identity did not improve conscious knowledge accessibility.
• Differential effects of VPL on metacognition may stem from distinct neural noise reduction mechanisms.