title: Exploring mass perception with Markov chain Monte Carlo.
abstract: Several previous studies have examined the ability to judge the relative mass of objects in idealized collisions. With a newly developed technique of psychological Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling (A. N. Sanborn & T. L. Griffiths, 2008), this work explores participants' perceptions of different collision mass ratios. The results reveal interparticipant differences and a qualitative distinction between the perception of 1:1 and 1:2 ratios. The results strongly suggest that participants' perceptions of 1:1 collisions are described by simple heuristics. The evidence for 1:2 collisions favors heuristic perception models that are sensitive to the sign but not the magnitude of perceived mass differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01002, USA. acohen@psych.umass.edu
authors.forename: Andrew L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008390:Markov Chains; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D012858:Size Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014892:Weight Perception / Q000502:physiology*