| dc.description.abstract | People summarize features of a group of objects as an ensemble (e.g., the mean size of apples). Studying individual differences, recent research has inquired about the generality of the abilities supporting different types of such ensemble perception (EP). However, most evidence has been based on pairwise correlations between two similar EP tasks, which is subject to measurement errors and shared test characteristics. In Study I, we use a latent variable approach to seek evidence for a general ability underlying the estimation of different summary statistics for different objects, distinct from an object recognition (OR) ability. We find a higher correlation between two factors sharing influence from EP or from OR, compared to the correlation between two factors expected to not share these influences. This provides the first evidence of a general EP ability, distinct from OR ability. In Study II, we examine how EP abilities supporting low-level (e.g., orientation) and high-level (object identity) feature judgments are related. We find a perfect correlation between a low-level EP factor and another high-level EP factor, suggesting a general EP ability across feature domains. There is a unique relationship between low-level and high-level EP above and beyond the contribution from other general abilities, including perceptual speed, object recognition, and working memory. Together, these two studies establish EP as a general construct supporting diverse ensemble judgments and characterize its relationship to other general abilities, laying the groundwork for future individual differences research on EP. | |
