1/ f Noise in Human Cognition
Abstract
When a person attempts to produce from memory a given spatial or temporal interval, there is inevitably some error associated with the estimate. The time course of this error was measured in a series of experiments where subjects repeatedly attempted to replicate given target intervals. Sequences of the errors in both spatial and temporal replications were found to fluctuate as 1/f noises. 1/f noise is encountered in a wide variety of physical systems and is theorized to be a characteristic signature of complexity.
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Autocorrelation appears ubiquitous within and between trials throughout memory, decision making, perception, language, and motor control.
“Autocorrelation appears ubiquitous within and between trials throughout memory, decision making, perception, language, and motor control (e.g., [75,76]),”
From Bayesian Brains without Probabilities (2016) · cites this paper as [75]
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- Authors
- Gilden, D. L., Thornton, T., & Mallon, M. W.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- ORCID
- Gilden, D. L.
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 1995-03-24
- Volume
- 267
- Issue
- 5205
- Pages
- 1837-1839
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2088581336
- Cited by
- 641
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 41 · 2012: 38
- FWCI
- 4.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Cognitive Science and Education Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Keywords
- 1/f noise, human cognition, memory reproduction, estimation error, complexity
- MeSH terms
- Cognition, Fourier Analysis, Humans, Models, Psychological, Reaction Time, Space Perception, Time Perception
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