Simplicity versus likelihood in visual perception: from surprisals to precisals (2000)
| Venue: | Psychological Bulletin |
| Citations: | 28 - 5 self |
BibTeX
@ARTICLE{Helm00simplicityversus,
author = {Peter A. Van Der Helm},
title = {Simplicity versus likelihood in visual perception: from surprisals to precisals},
journal = {Psychological Bulletin},
year = {2000},
volume = {126},
pages = {770--800}
}
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Abstract
The likelihood principle states that the visual system prefers the most likely interpretation of a stimulus, whereas the simplicity principle states that it prefers the most simple interpretation. This study investi-gates how close these seemingly very different principles are by combining findings from classical, algorithmic, and structural information theory. It is argued that, in visual perception, the two principles are perhaps very different with respect to the viewpoint-independent aspects of perception but probably very close with respect to the viewpoint-dependent aspects which, moreover, seem decisive in everyday perception. This implies that either principle may have guided the evolution of visual systems and that the simplicity paradigm may provide perception models with the necessary quantitative specifications of the often plausible but also intuitive ideas provided by the likelihood paradigm. In visual perception research, an ongoing debate concerns the question of whether the likelihood principle (Von Helmholtz, 1909/1962) or the simplicity principle (Hochberg & McAlister, 1953) provides the best explanation of the human interpretation of visual stimuli. The phenomenon to be explained is, more specifi-cally, that human subjects usually show a clear preference for only
Keyphrases
visual perception simplicity versus likelihood visual system simplicity principle likely interpretation ongoing debate concern clear preference structural information theory intuitive idea different principle everyday perception viewpoint-independent aspect hochberg mcalister visual perception research perception model visual stimulus necessary quantitative specification simplicity paradigm likelihood paradigm likelihood principle state human subject human interpretation viewpoint-dependent aspect von helmholtz likelihood principle simple interpretation
