The goal is to assign numbers to perceptual events, the benefit of which is that it allows for direct observer response to changes, although restricted to only a number of categories [23].
The human observer response depends on similarity between letters, and substitution's does not.
Any model of crowding must receive the stimulus as input and produce the appropriate kind of observer response (e.g., a letter or a word).
However, social influence effects are observed even when normative factors are minimised (e.g., by making observers' responses anonymous and reducing the observer's identification with the group).
A further challenge is to capture the dynamic nature of observers' responses to the stimuli.
The observers' responses are markedly different from the Bayesian estimates derived by combining optic flow and head velocity information (Eq. 14, Figures 5 and 6).
No feedback was given with respect to observers' responses, and they were not given any information about the maximum number of dots to be displayed.
Perhaps the observers' responses are all due to target substitution and the higher rate of similar-flanker reports occurs because target substitution reports letters that are more similar to the target.
The two presentation intervals were marked by tones, and feedback was provided after the observers response.
