The perceptual categorization of multidimensional stimuli is hierarchically organized

• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106941
• Publication Date: 2023-05-22T06:05:12Z
• Authors: Chi Chen; Livia de Hoz
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; Science; Q; Sensory neuroscience; Cognitive neuroscience; Article

As we interact with our surroundings, encounter the same or similar objects from different perspectives and are compelled to generalize. For example, despite their variety recognize dog barks as a distinct sound class. While have some understanding of generalization along single stimulus dimension (frequency, color), natural stimuli identifiable by combination dimensions. Measuring interaction is essential understand perception. Using 2-dimension discrimination task for mice frequency amplitude modulated sounds, tested untrained across pairs auditory dimensions in an automatized behavioral paradigm. We uncovered perceptual hierarchy over that was dominated sound's spectral composition. Stimuli thus not perceived whole, but features, each which weights differently on identification according established hierarchy, possibly paralleling differential shaping neuronal tuning.