Abstract

SOUSA, Fátima Faleiros  and  SILVA, José Aparecido da. Memory psychophysics: functional equivalence of memory and perceptual estimates. Psicol. USP [online]. 1993, vol.4, n.1-2, pp. 203-246. ISSN 1678-5177.

Four experiments were carried on to test the hypothesis of Reperceptual Model and the Central Tendency of Judgment Model. The subjects had to estimate: in Exp. 1 the area of Brazilian states; in Exp. 2 the linear distance from Brasilia to the states capitals using a map or by memory, after studying this map; in Exps. 3 and 4 areas or distances perceptually or after intervals of several durations. The results show that 1) Stevens' psychophysical law describes well both perceptual estimates and those made by memory; 2)the perceptual estimates have higher exponents than the memory estimates; 3) the exponents of memory estimates decrease irregularly with increasing time intervals; 4) the Central Tendency Model, and an alternative hypothesis which takes into account the amplitude of the stimuli, were favored by the central tendency of data obstained.

Keywords : Memory; Psychophysics; Apparent distance; Visual perception.

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