A test of multiple correlation temporal window characteristic of non-markov processes

Year: 2016

Authors: Arecchi F.T., Farini A., Megna N.

Autors Affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Ottica del CNR, Firenze, Italy; Università di Firenze, Firenze, Italy

Abstract: We introduce a sensitive test of memory effects in successive events. The test consists of a combination K of binary correlations at successive times. K decays monotonically from K = 1 for uncorrelated events as a Markov process. For a monotonic memory fading, K < 1 always. Here we report evidence of a K >1 temporal window in cognitive tasks consisting of the visual identification of the front face of the Necker cube after a previous presentation of the same. We speculate that memory effects provide a temporal window with K >1 and this experiment could be a possible first step towards a better comprehension of this phenomenon. The K > 1 behaviour is maximal at an inter-measurement time t around 2 s with inter-subject differences. The K >1 persists over a time window of 1 s around t ; outside this window the K < 1 behaviour is recovered. The universal occurrence of a K > 1 window in pairs of successive perceptions suggests that, at variance with single visual stimuli eliciting a suitable response, a pair of stimuli shortly separated in time displays mutual correlations.

Journal/Review: EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL PLUS

Volume: 131 (3)      Pages from: 50-1  to: 50-7

KeyWords: Perception; Consciousness; Creativity; Complexity; Cognition; Dynamics; Views; Model
DOI: 10.1140/epjp/i2016-16050-6

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