Exploration of contextuality in a psychophysical double-detection experiment

Víctor H. Cervantes, Ehtibar N. Dzhafarov

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The Contextuality-by-Default (CbD) theory allows one to separate contextuality from context-dependent errors and violations of selective influences (aka “no-signaling” or “no-disturbance” principles). This makes the theory especially applicable to behavioral systems, where violations of selective influences are ubiquitous. For cyclic systems with binary random variables, CbD provides necessary and sufficient conditions for noncontextuality, and these conditions are known to be breached in certain quantum systems. We apply the theory of cyclic systems to a psychophysical double-detection experiment, in which observers were asked to determine presence or absence of a signal property in each of two simultaneously presented stimuli. The results, as in all other behavioral and social systems previously analyzed, indicate lack of contextuality. The role of context in double-detection is confined to lack of selectiveness: the distribution of responses to one of the stimuli is influenced by the state of the other stimulus.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationQuantum Interaction - 10th International Conference, QI 2016, Revised Selected Papers
EditorsJose Acacio de Barros, Bob Coecke, Bob Bob
PublisherSpringer
Pages182-193
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9783319522883
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes
Event10th International Conference on Quantum Interaction, QI 2016 - San Francisco, United States
Duration: Jul 20 2016Jul 22 2016

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume10106 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference10th International Conference on Quantum Interaction, QI 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Francisco
Period7/20/167/22/16

Keywords

  • Contextuality
  • Cyclic systems
  • Inconsistent connectedness
  • Psychophysics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • General Computer Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Exploration of contextuality in a psychophysical double-detection experiment'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this