# Does stimulus order affect central tendency and serial dependence in vestibular path integration?

## TL;DR

This study investigates how the order of stimuli affects biases in estimating self-motion, finding that these biases remain consistent regardless of stimulus patterns.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel analysis of central tendency and serial dependence in vestibular path integration under varying stimulus autocorrelation.

## Key findings

- Central tendency bias remains stable even when adjusting for stimulus autocorrelation.
- Serial dependence persists regardless of stimulus autocorrelation patterns.
- Both biases suggest robust neural strategies in self-motion perception.

## Abstract

Reproduction of perceived stimuli, such as
distances or durations, is shaped by two biases: central tendency, where
reproductions are biased toward the mean of the stimulus distribution, and
serial dependence, where the reproduction of the current stimulus is influenced
by the previous stimulus. We examined whether stimulus autocorrelation affects
these biases in path integration. Twenty-four participants performed a
vestibular distance reproduction task, actively replicating passively
experienced distances. Two conditions were tested: high autocorrelation, where
stimulus distances followed a random walk, and no autocorrelation, where
distances were randomly shuffled. Both biases were quantified using separate
simple linear regressions or a joint multiple regression model accounting for
stimulus autocorrelation, derived from causal graphs. Simple regressions showed
weaker central tendency and reversed serial dependence under the
high-autocorrelation condition, but these differences disappeared in the
multiple regression analysis. Thus, both biases persist regardless of stimulus
autocorrelation, indicating robust neural strategies in self-motion
perception.

•We tested how stimulus autocorrelation affects
biases in self-motion estimation•Central tendency (bias to the mean) was stable after
adjusting for autocorrelation•The same was found for serial dependence (influence
of the previous stimulus)•Both biases reflect robust neural processing
strategies in self-motion estimation

We tested how stimulus autocorrelation affects
biases in self-motion estimation

Central tendency (bias to the mean) was stable after
adjusting for autocorrelation

The same was found for serial dependence (influence
of the previous stimulus)

Both biases reflect robust neural processing
strategies in self-motion estimation

Biological sciences; Clinical neuroscience; Natural
sciences; Neuroscience