Stochastic Interactive Activation and the Effect of Context on Perception
Abstract
Classically, context exerts a biasing effect on perceptual identification responses given without time pressure. Such effects are well described by classical models formulated in terms of signal detection theory or Luce's theory of choice. The classical models do not describe the actual time course of processing, however; they simply produce characterizations of asymptotic response probabilities. In this article, mathematical analysis and computer simulation methods are used to show that interactive activation models exhibit the classical effect of context when they are allowed to run to equilibrium, if there is variability in the input to the network or if there is intrinsic randomness in the processing activity of the network itself. The findings suggest that interactive activation models should not be viewed as alternatives to classical accounts, but as hypotheses about the dynamics of information processing that lead to the asymptotic behavior that the classical models describe. (KR)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 14, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA218929
Entities
People
- James McClelland
Organizations
- Carnegie Mellon University