Perceptual Bias Research Articles

Ensemble percepts of colored targets among distractors are influenced by hue similarity, not categorical identity.

Color can be used to group similar elements, and ensemble percepts of color can be formed for such groups. In real-life settings, however, elements of similar color are often spatially interspersed among other elements and seen against a background. Forming an ensemble percept of these elements would require the segmentation of the correct color signals for integration. Can the human visual system do this? We examined whether observers can extract the ensemble mean hue from a target hue distribution among distractors and whether a color category boundary between target and distractor hues facilitates ensemble hue formation. Observers were able to selectively judge the target ensemble mean hue, but the presence of distractor hues added noise to the ensemble estimates and caused perceptual biases. The more similar the distractor hues were to the target hues, the noisier the estimates became, possibly reflecting incomplete or inaccurate segmentation of the two hue ensembles. Asymmetries between nominally equidistant distractors and substantial individual variability, however, point to additional factors beyond simple mixing of target and distractor distributions. Finally, we found no evidence for categorical facilitation in selective ensemble hue formation.

Perceptions of Anti-Black Bias in the Criminal Justice System Contribute to Pro-Black (Versus White) Bias in Criminal Justice Research

Black Americans experience more frequent guilty verdicts and harsher sentences in the criminal justice system. However, recent laboratory work often finds either trivial differences or a pro-Black bias where people provide more lenient verdicts for Black versus White defendants. Across five studies, we find a consistent pro-Black bias even after reducing social desirability concerns. Instead, the pro-Black bias results from a negative relationship between perceived anti-Black criminal justice bias and the Black suspect’s verdict. The current work shows the pro-Black bias as a consequence of the newly salient perception of racial bias in the criminal justice system. Consequently, as people’s perceptions of racial disparities in the criminal justice system increase, this in-lab effect may manifest in real-world criminal justice outcomes.

Happy couples “see” helpful partners: Relationship quality predicts biased perceptions of partner instrumentality to one's goals

AbstractPerceiving a romantic partner as instrumental to one's goals predicts myriad desirable relationship outcomes. However, little is known about the origins of perceived partner instrumentality (PPI)—particularly about factors that may bias PPI. In two studies, we provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that relationship quality predicts biased PPI. In a dyadic correlational study (Study 1) and an imagined scenario study in which we experimentally manipulated partner instrumentality levels (Study 2), participants reporting higher relationship quality perceived their partners as more instrumental to their goals—even when controlling for depressive symptoms, and when controlling for partner‐reported (Study 1) or enacted partner (Study 2) instrumentality. Additionally, in Study 1 (but not Study 2), relationship quality attenuated a negative association between depressive symptoms and PPI. Study 2 also revealed that perceiving a partner as more instrumental predicted greater intentions to provide instrumental support to that partner in the future. These findings fill important gaps in the instrumentality and relationships literature, identifying antecedents of PPI and offering insights into how PPI may predict relationship functioning.

The blind HR: Why do people leave managers not companies? A case of inconsistency in performance appraisal and performance outcome

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: to benchmark and compare the theoretical models of the performance management and appraisal processes. (Questions 1 and 2) Remembering-in Bloom’s Taxonomy; to understand the importance of practicing fair performance appraisal process. (Question 4) Understanding-in Bloom’s Taxonomy; to analyze the implementation and effectiveness of 180-degree performance appraisal method and rating system prevalent in the IT Sector. (Question 1) Applying and Analyzing-in Bloom’s Taxonomy; to assess the impact of perceptual biases on human behavior and performance (Questions 2 and 3) Evaluating-in Bloom’s Taxonomy. Case overview/synopsis The case study entitled “Is HR Blind? Why do People Leave Managers Not Companies? A Case of Unfair Performance Appraisal and Biases” is a classic example of a flawed and biased performance appraisal process and perceptual biasness, which resulted in the loss of a valuable and talented resource in a leading Indian IT MNC. The present case had been based upon the real-life experience of an employee (i.e. Rahul Verma), who worked with the company from year 2010 to 2021. It was among the top ten IT MNCs employing about 0.1 million people. The objective of the case was to highlight real time issues existing with HR practices, mainly in IT sector organizations. For example, in the present case, do the HR seek proper justification from the manager before taking a harsh decision like forcibly asking an employee to sign a termination contract without looking at the contributions of his qualitative performance or even performance rating (refer to the transcript) for that matter? Was the job of the HR to only ensure how to fit in employees in the faulty bell curve system? Whether the performance appraisal system being followed at the company is adequately capable of identifying and recognizing the talent. Do the different functions really work cohesively and organically toward achieving the intended goals and objectives of the organization? Was this a failure of the manager in recognizing talent or something went wrong at the employee’s part? Was this a failure of the entire HR system or performance management process at the organization that was unable to filter out the capable and skilled resources out of the crowd? Was this a problem of organizational culture that put on stake its most critical resource – the human capital – by allowing the appraisers to evaluate them just because of the hierarchical structure, and not because they are not being competent enough to perform this most critical job objectively? Who ensures the appraiser is free from any kind of prejudice or bias and is capable of fairly assessing the talent resource? So, the present case was a deliberate attempt to throw out these burning questions to the practitioners and students to ponder upon. Does HR really follow the blind process merely acting on the feedback received from the different units of the organization? With the help of strong theoretical foundation and practical applications, the following objectives and questions have been framed to deliberate and propose the workable solutions for the benefits of the relevant stakeholders. Complexity academic level HR practitioners, HR managers, supervisors, senior management and HR students, IT heads, project managers. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

How Bar Chart Display Features can Skew Perception

This study empirically examines three display design features that can hinder or promote viewers’ perceptual bias of bar charts. Bar charts are commonly used in various landscapes, including business contexts, yet, research on their impact on bias is limited. In an experiment, 266 undergraduates viewed vertical bar charts with two styles of scaling (fine vs coarse), two formats of bar ordering (in a certain order vs in random order) and two patterns of bar width (same vs different). A 7-item quiz measured the level of perceptual bias. Results showed that the main effects of all three display features. The results revealed that the interaction of bar ordering formats and (1) the scaling styles and (2) the bar thickness patterns on viewers’ perceptual bias were significant. The other effects were not. In addition to extending the theoretical insight into visual deception in the contexts of bar charts, the findings provide practical guidelines for visual makers on bar chart designs that could lead to readers’ perceptual bias, and for visual viewers on how to properly decode the meaning embedded in bar charts.

A neural mechanism for optic flow parsing in macaque visual cortex

For the brain to compute object motion in the world during self-motion, it must discount the global patterns of image motion (optic flow) caused by self-motion. Optic flow parsing is a proposed visual mechanism for computing object motion in the world, and studies in both humans and monkeys have demonstrated perceptual biases consistent with the operation of a flow-parsing mechanism. However, the neural basis of flow parsing remains unknown. We demonstrate, at both the individual unit and population levels, that neural activity in macaque middle temporal (MT) area is biased by peripheral optic flow in a manner that can at least partially account for perceptual biases induced by flow parsing. These effects cannot be explained by conventional surround suppression mechanisms or choice-related activity and have substantial neural latency. Together, our findings establish the first neural basis for the computation of scene-relative object motion based on flow parsing.

The perceptual and mnemonic effects of ensemble representation on individual size representation.

Our visual world consists of multiple objects, necessitating the identification of individual objects. Nevertheless, the representation of visual objects often exerts influence on each other. Even when we selectively attend to a subset of visual objects, the representations of surrounding items are encoded and influence the processing of the attended item(s). However, it remains unclear whether the effect of group ensemble representation on individual item representation occurs at the perceptual encoding phase, during the memory maintenance period, or both. Therefore, the current study conducted visual psychophysics experiments to investigate the contributions of perceptual and mnemonic bias on the observed effect of ensemble representation on individual size representation. Across five experiments, we found a consistent pattern of repulsive ensemble bias, such that the size of an individual target circle was consistently reported to be smaller than it actually was when presented alongside other circles with larger mean size, and vice versa. There was a perceptual component to the bias, but mnemonic factors also influenced its magnitude. Specifically, the repulsion bias was strongest with a short retention period (0-50 ms), then reduced within a second to a weaker magnitude that remained stable for a longer retention period (5,000 ms). Such patterns of results persisted when we facilitated the processing of ensemble representation by increasing the set size (Experiment 1B) or post-cueing the target circle so that attention was distributed across all items (Experiment 2B).

Exploring Public Perception of News and Citizenship and Its Relationship with News Use

ABSTRACT This survey study (N = 1065) examines Americans’ perception of news and citizenship and its relationship with consumption of news via diverse media—traditional news media, cable news channels and political satire—that include features of news yet differ from one another in their adherence to journalistic norms, such as fairness, accuracy and objectivity, to varying degrees. Findings suggest that Americans still hold high expectations for news to be fair, accurate and objective and value the role of news in our democracy and democratic citizenship, yet have negative assessments of their performance, such that news media fall short of the democratic ideal. These findings may speak to the declining public trust in media and growing perception of media bias.

Partisan bias in public perception of elections polls: experimental evidence from Mexico

ABSTRACT While most of the literature on public opinion has explored how motivated reasoning makes some individuals discredit survey results in advanced industrial democracies like the U.S., few studies have considered how voters perceive electoral polling in young democracies like Mexico. This study included a survey experiment that found that voters perceived polls that matched their partisan preferences as more credible. Moreover, voters were requested to provide an estimate of candidates’ vote intention. The results highlight that voters’ partisan bias – not lack of information, prior expectations or low levels of interest – makes them overestimate their co-partisan candidate’s vote intention. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the conditions that make some voters interpret political events through a partisan lens. Voters choose interpretations that rationalize their partisan predispositions even in young democracies, where partisanship is commonly perceived to be weak.

Social Justice and Indoctrination: Views of Faculty Accused of Bias

ABSTRACTThis study explores the discourse surrounding ideological bias in American higher education, particularly focusing on perceptions of bias against conservative viewpoints as documented by Professor Watchlist. Through interviews with individuals included on the watchlist, this research investigates the existence and nature of political bias on college campuses. The findings reveal a nuanced understanding among respondents, with many disputing the notion of systemic bias against conservative students, while also acknowledging potential bias against conservative ideas. The study highlights the complexities between academic freedom, ideological diversity, and perceptions of bias. The results contribute to ongoing debates about the role of political ideology in academia and its implications for classroom dynamics.

A Probabilistic Approach to Correct for Oblique Biases in Sea Ice Parametrization from Shipborne Cameras

Abstract This work investigates the perception bias caused by ice floes occluding open water regions behind them when analyzing sea ice from shipborne cameras. We propose a method to model this effect by predicting an occlusion probability for a given surface region based on a stochastic representation of the sea ice fields. We further show how the proposed framework can be used to design an unbiased estimator for image-based sea ice concentration by correcting for these occlusions. The occlusion model and proposed sea ice concentration estimator have been verified through simulated experiments. Results from the experiments showed that predictions from the occlusion model align with the simulated observations and that the proposed estimator remains unbiased for all environments tested. The contributions of this study can be used in algorithms for automated identification and characterization of ice environments from surface ships and are thus an essential step towards improved autonomy in Arctic navigation.

The impact of perception bias for cardiovascular disease risk on physical activity and dietary habits

ObjectiveCardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a significant public health challenge in China. Accurate perception of individual CVD risk is crucial for timely intervention and preventive strategies. This study aims to determine the alignment between CVD risk perception levels and objectively calculated CVD risk levels, then investigate the disparity in physical activity and healthy diet habits among distinct CVD risk perception categories. MethodsFrom March to August 2022, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in Zhejiang Province using convenience sampling. Participants aged between 20 and 80 years, without prior diagnosis of CVD were included. CVD risk perception was evaluated with the Chinese version of the Attitude and Beliefs about Cardiovascular Disease Risk Questionnaire (ABCD-C), while objective CVD risk was assessed through the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk (China-PAR) model. Participants’ demographic information, self-reported physical activity, and healthy diet score were also collected. ResultsA total of 739 participants were included in the final analysis. Less than a third of participants (29.3%) accurately perceived their CVD risk, while 64.5% over-perceived it and 6.2% under-perceived it. Notably, half of the individuals (50.0%) with high CVD risk under-perceived their actual risk. Compared to the accurate perception group, individuals aged 60-80 years old (OR = 6.569), currently drinking (OR = 3.059), and with hypertension (OR = 2.352) were more likely to under-perceive their CVD risk. Meanwhile, participants aged 40-<60 years old (OR = 2.462) and employed (OR = 2.352) were more likely to over-perceive their risk. The proportion of individuals engaging in physical activity was lowest in the under-perception group, although the difference among the three groups was not statistically significant (χ2=2.556, P=0.278). In addition, the proportion of individuals practicing healthy diet habits was also lowest in the under-perception group, and a significant statistical difference was observed among the three groups (χ2=10.310, P=0.006). ConclusionOnly a small proportion of participants accurately perceived their CVD risk, especially among those with high actual CVD risk. Individuals in the under-perceived CVD risk group exhibited the lowest rates of physical activity engagement and healthy diet adherence. Healthcare professionals should prioritize implementing personalized CVD risk communication strategies tailored to specific subgroups to enhance the accuracy of risk perception.

EVALUATION DE COMPORTEMENTS A RISQUE CHEZ LES OPERATEURS DU CENTRE DEMPLISSAGE DE GAZ SKHIRAT

Nowadays, the current trend in Prevention (health, safety at work) consists of the operators behavior as much as a concrete factor invoked as cause of an accident. Indeed, to control risks and accidents, the emphasis must not only be placed on the technique but also on the operators attitudes towards risks and safety at work and especially on his perception of the risk, in fact it is he who will decide and act. It is he who will adopt so-called risky behaviors if he disregards safety measures, neglects his protective equipment, and thus puts himself and sometimes his colleague in danger. This research was there fore particularly interested in the different explanatory factors that predispose the workers of the Salam Gaz company to be less careful based on the perceptive biases that they translate the causes of non-compliance with certain safety rules. The practical scope of this work is to identify the principles of action to develop and channel the safety behaviors of operators in the context of industrial safety.

The Power and Pitfalls of Social Norms.

Social norms have long been considered across the social and behavioral sciences for their effects on human behavior. This review focuses on norms that explicitly or implicitly convey socially shared views about what people should or should not do. Such injunctive norms can be powerful influences on behavior through internalization or through formal or informal enforcement. They can underpin interventions to shape people's behavior through conformity but can also be drawn upon by individuals to question social practices. However, norms also have pitfalls and may fail to affect behavior as intended: They can pose a threat to the individual's self (autonomy, morality, values), compromise motives and social meanings (intrinsic motivation, trust, sincerity), or be egocentrically reconstrued (through biased perceptions and selective social/temporal referents). Depending on one's stance on an issue, such pitfalls may also be turned into powers to inoculate against undesirable norms or to advance social change.

Real Environment or Virtual Environment?: Perception Bias Evaluation of Perceived Security in Urban Parks

Urban green spaces, specifically urban parks, contribute to overall human health and well-being. However, physical features of urban green spaces can affect perceived security of its users, ultimately impacting their social life and mental health. Hence, various studies have evaluated perceived security in urban green spaces in virtual and real environment settings. However, studies have not yet evaluated the difference in the perception of perceived security and other physical environmental variables of urban green spaces across virtual and real environment-based methods. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that perception bias can exist across both methodologies. Since Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is a well-established framework in the field, this study investigates the difference in perceived security across methods using the virtual and real environment in urban parks, using a CPTED classification. Fifteen urban parks were video graphed during the day and night. The study collected 524 and 930 responses from real and virtual environment settings, respectively. The results show that, regardless of the stimulus type, all CPTED variables are significantly correlated with perceived security; however, surveillance, maintenance, and activity support are strongly correlated with perceived security in virtual rather than real environments. Perceptions of territoriality, access control and target hardening significantly differ across both methods. Regardless of user type, PS levels are higher in a real environment. The number of park users affects perceived security more in virtual environments. However, the relative importance of CPTED variables in predicting perceived security is similar in both methods. Future research scholars can benefit from this study by understanding user perception patterns of urban parks in virtual and real environments. Similarly, the study results will guide them in creating virtual and real spaces catering to users’ perceptions. The study's findings can also support future virtual environment-based projects by accounting for potential perception biases when translating results to real environment settings. Further, landscape architects can leverage this research to enhance the design and development of urban parks. From the methodological perspective, this study is applicable to various perception-based studies that can aim to evaluate virtual and real environment-based differences.

Through the Lens of Accountability: Body-Worn Cameras in Police Operations at Pampanga Police Provincial Office

This study evaluates the compliance of the Pampanga Provincial Police Office with the use of body-worn cameras and alternative recording devices during police operations in the province Pampanga and examines the severity of problems encountered in their use. Specifically, it assesses compliance in terms of procedural fairness, police performance, data protocols, privacy concerns, and camera benefit while investigating the relationship between compliance levels and encountered problems. It hypothesizes that higher compliance levels are associated with fewer operational problems and that certain areas, such as data protocols and privacy, may present greater challenges. A descriptive correlational design was used, employing structured questionnaires to gather data from 200 respondents, including police officers and community members. Key findings indicate a very high compliance level in using Body-Worn Cameras and Alternative Recording Devices (Mean = 3.49), but also highlight significant challenges, with an overall severity rating of problems as high (Mean = 2.81). Correlational analysis suggests a moderate positive relationship between perceived compliance and the severity of problems faced. The study recommends tailored training, procedural adjustments, and improved data management and privacy measures to address these challenges. Limitations of the study include potential biases in respondent perceptions and constraints in generalizing findings to other regions. Policymakers are urged to enhance transparency, accountability, and public trust in police practices to foster a safer community environment in Pampanga Province.

BEHAVIOUR BIAS IN INVESTMENT DECISIONS: EMPIRICAL STUDY OF INVESTOR PSYCHOLOGY IN INDONESIA

Investing involves putting money into a variety of asset classes for a predetermined amount of time in the hopes of increasing total value and producing more income. The goals of investments and economics, such as value creation, profit generation, and other related goals, are strongly correlated. It is critical to recognize that investments may include additional financial, social, and spiritual goals. This research aims to assess investor behavior from internal and external perspectives concerning investing decisions. This study employs the Structural Equation Model (SEM) methodology utilizing the Smart-PLS software. This study's findings demonstrate that qualities including anger, anxiety, overconfidence, and self-monitoring positively influence investment decisions. Herding mitigates the adverse impacts of anger, anxiety, overconfidence, and self-monitoring on investment decisions. This research's consequences can assist investors in circumventing irrational risks and yield more objective findings grounded in thorough study. This tendency can result in inefficient market transactions, asset bubbles, and significant volatility. This study arose as a counter to the conventional understanding of exchange markets predicated on the premise of trader rationality. This research identifies that emotional emotions, risk perception, and cognitive biases frequently affect investment decisions by comprehending human nature.

The left side of gestures: left perceptual bias for meaningless hand gestures recognition is independent from handedness

The “Left Perceptual Bias” (LPB) is the effect for which the left side of a picture such as a face is used to a greater extent than its right side as shown in a wide variety of experimental tasks. This effect has been observed for faces, body parts and objects. The present work investigated the presence of a LPB in recognizing hand gestures in two experiments. The role of the side of stimuli presentation (left /right), stimuli orientation (palm/back), participants’ handedness and gender were analyzed. Participants were presented with images of meaningless gestures performed by an actor with the right or left hand, from a palm or a back view. Immediately afterward, participants were shown a drawing and had to discriminate whether it represented the same gesture or not. In the first experiment, the task was administered to a sample of right-handed participants, half males. Results showed shorter response times for stimuli presented on the left side and for those shown from the palm. No gender differences were observed. The second experiment included a sample of left-handed participants and the LPB was replicated. Taken together, our results suggest an interpretation of the bias in terms of asymmetries in perceptual processing rather than the involvement of motor representations.

Tackling Gender-Based Violence to Increase College Students’ Well-Being: A Study on Psychosocial Dimensions Affecting Attitudes Toward the Nonconsensual Intimate Image Dissemination

One of the most recent forms of gender-based violence is non-consensual intimate images dissemination (NCII). This type of offense, popularly referred to as “revenge pornography”, consists of the nonconsensual creation, dissemination, or threat of dissemination of nude or sexually explicit images (photographs and videos) of individuals. NCII is considered a public health issue because of its damaging psychological consequences, especially among adolescents and young adults. According to the social-ecological perspective, psychosocial variables (e.g., endorsement of sexist attitudes, rape myths, sexual double standards, and stereotypes on masculinity) influence and bias perceptions of NCII, but research on these dimensions is still lacking. The present study aims to investigate such variables in a sample of Italian college students (N = 309, 65.4% female, mean age = 21.95, SD = 2.00). The results will be discussed in the light of interventions aimed at raising awareness of violence and its prevention, thus increasing youth well-being in their educational and everyday contexts.

Association between Proficiency and Idiosyncratic Biases in Medical Image Perception

Association between Proficiency and Idiosyncratic Biases in Medical Image Perception