Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 28, 2026

Visualizing Visual Adaptation
Published on: April 24, 2017
Individual Differences in Perceived Complexity, Visual Discomfort, and Preference for Images Varying in Spectral
1School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Abstract:
Participants (N = 89) rated preference, discomfort, and perceived complexity of grayscale, thresholded, edge and mountain profile images varying in spectral scaling properties. Participants also completed self-report questionnaires designed to measure neurodivergent (CATI, ASRS) or sensory processing sensitivity (CHYPS-V, SPQ-S). Across image types, perceived complexity and discomfort declined as the spectral slope parameter increased, whereas preference increased from the shallowest to the intermediate slopes and then plateaued. Self-reported autistic-like traits, ADHD-like traits, and sensory sensitivity were largely unrelated to overall rating levels but showed small associations with how ratings changed across spectral slope. These findings support treating complexity, discomfort, and preference as related but non-equivalent visual judgments, with trait-related influences expressed mainly as modest variation in sensitivity to spectral scaling.
More Related Videos
05:36Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention
Published on: November 16, 2017
07:34Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
Published on: June 3, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Perception
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...
Gestalt Principles of Perception
Perceptual Constancy
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
Anatomy of the Eyeball