The dynamics of practice effects in an optotype acuity task

Heinrich, Sven; Krüger, Katja; Bach, Michael

doi:10.1007/s00417-011-1675-z

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…In perceptual learning, observers improve in very basic discrimination tasks through repeated experience with that task (Fahle, 2005). In particular, extensive training and experience with the task may improve the observer's ability to separate the signal that is relevant for discrimination from perceptual noise (Heinrich, Kruger, & Bach, 2011;Z. L. Lu, Hua, Huang, Zhou, & Dosher, 2011).…”

Section: Training and Experience With The Taskmentioning

confidence: 99%

Categorical facilitation with equally discriminable colors

2015

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This study investigates the impact of language on color perception. By categorical facilitation, we refer to an aspect of categorical perception, in which the linguistic distinction between categories affects color discrimination beyond the low-level, sensory sensitivity to color differences. According to this idea, discrimination performance for colors that cross a category border should be better than for colors that belong to the same category when controlling for low-level sensitivity. We controlled for sensitivity by using colors that were equally discriminable according to empirically measured discrimination thresholds. To test for categorical facilitation, we measured response times and error rates in a speeded discrimination task for suprathreshold stimuli. Robust categorical facilitation occurred for five out of six categories with a group of inexperienced observers, namely for pink, orange, yellow, green, and purple. Categorical facilitation was robust against individual variations of categories or the laterality of target presentation. However, contradictory effects occurred in the blue category, most probably reflecting the difficulty to control effects of sensory mechanisms at the green-blue boundary. Moreover, a group of observers who were highly familiar with the discrimination task did not show consistent categorical facilitation in the other five categories. This trained group had much faster response times than the inexperienced group without any speed-accuracy trade-off. Additional analyses suggest that categorical facilitation occurs when observers pay attention to the categorical distinction but not when they respond automatically based on sensory feed-forward information.

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Section: Training and Experience With The Taskmentioning

confidence: 99%

Categorical facilitation with equally discriminable colors

2015

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“…1). It is known that visual acuity can increase with practice and Heinrich et al [21] have recently shown that the spacing between practice units is relevant. Visual acuity performance and vocabulary learning are very different tasks and most probably recruit very different brain areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Very Similar Spacing-Effect Patterns in Very Different Learning/Practice Domains

Kornmeier

Spitzer

Sosic-Vasic³

2014

PLoS ONE

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Temporally distributed (“spaced”) learning can be twice as efficient as massed learning. This “spacing effect” occurs with a broad spectrum of learning materials, with humans of different ages, with non-human vertebrates and also invertebrates. This indicates, that very basic learning mechanisms are at work (“generality”). Although most studies so far focused on very narrow spacing interval ranges, there is some evidence for a non-monotonic behavior of this “spacing effect” (“nonlinearity”) with optimal spacing intervals at different time scales. In the current study we focused both the nonlinearity aspect by using a broad range of spacing intervals and the generality aspect by using very different learning/practice domains: Participants learned German-Japanese word pairs and performed visual acuity tests. For each of six groups we used a different spacing interval between learning/practice units from 7 min to 24 h in logarithmic steps. Memory retention was studied in three consecutive final tests, one, seven and 28 days after the final learning unit. For both the vocabulary learning and visual acuity performance we found a highly significant effect of the factor spacing interval on the final test performance. In the 12 h-spacing-group about 85% of the learned words stayed in memory and nearly all of the visual acuity gain was preserved. In the 24 h-spacing-group, in contrast, only about 33% of the learned words were retained and the visual acuity gain dropped to zero. The very similar patterns of results from the two very different learning/practice domains point to similar underlying mechanisms. Further, our results indicate spacing in the range of 12 hours as optimal. A second peak may be around a spacing interval of 20 min but here the data are less clear. We discuss relations between our results and basic learning at the neuronal level.

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“…In this context, “fast learning” [ 21 , 22 ] corresponds to several blocks of 40 or 50 trials each. Heinrich et al [ 5 ] detected perceptual learning with Landolt-C visual acuity–with feedback: 0.04 logMAR after the first block of 50 trials, no feedback: ≈0.02 after 50 trials (from their Fig 4 , the effect size rose markedly after further blocks). In the present study, 2 × 24 × 4 trials were presented, so it is likely that some perceptual learning also occurred, and it would be faster or stronger with feedback.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet we identified no reports assessing the effects of feedback on clinical acuity testing in a peer-reviewed publication. This is relevant, because for one, our own experience and anecdotal reports indicate that participants are more comfortable with feedback, and two, visual perceptive learning [ 4 ] also occurs in conjunction with visual acuity testing [ 5 ], is currently extensively assessed for modulating visual perceptual thresholds [ 6 ], and its effect size depends on feedback (around one line with feedback, half that value without). In other visual tasks, namely Vernier acuity testing, visual perceptual learning has been studied extensively: feedback accelerates learning [ 7 , 8 ] and incorrect feedback can prevent learning [ 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual Acuity Testing: Feedback Affects Neither Outcome nor Reproducibility, but Leaves Participants Happier

Bach

Schäfer

2016

PLoS ONE

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Assessment of visual acuity is a well standardized procedure at least for expert opinions and clinical trials. It is often recommended not giving patients feedback on the correctness of their responses. As this viewpoint has not been quantitatively examined so far, we quantitatively assessed possible effects of feedback on visual acuity testing. In 40 normal participants we presented Landolt Cs in 8 orientations using the automated Freiburg Acuity Test (FrACT, 0.5). The comfort ranking clearly differed, by 2 steps on the Likert scale: the condition (A)–no feedback–was on average “slightly uncomfortable”, the other three conditions were “slightly comfortable” (p<0.0001). Feedback affected neither reproducibility nor the acuity outcome to any relevant extent. The participants, however, reported markedly greater comfort with any kind of feedback. We conclude that systematic feedback (as implemented in FrACT) offers nothing but advantages for routine use.

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The dynamics of practice effects in an optotype acuity task

Cited by 20 publications

References 51 publications

Categorical facilitation with equally discriminable colors

Categorical facilitation with equally discriminable colors

Very Similar Spacing-Effect Patterns in Very Different Learning/Practice Domains

Visual Acuity Testing: Feedback Affects Neither Outcome nor Reproducibility, but Leaves Participants Happier

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