Once in a blue Mooney! Using the effect of prior exposure to elicit qualitative differences in identification of multi-identity images

ORCID

Abstract

We investigated the extent to which repetition priming can elicit qualitative differences in identification of a stimulus with multiple identities. In an exposure phase, participants viewed images of objects from one of two stimulus sets (A or B). In a naming phase, participants viewed super Mooney stimuli (for 6s each), comprising perceptually degraded (Mooney) versions of the A and B images superimposed in distinct colours, and attempted to name both. Across four experiments with university students (Ns = 51, 60, 61, 59), rates of correctnaming of previously exposed components exceeded those of components that were not. This was replicated when the stimulus exposure duration was self-paced, and with different stimulus sets. Our findings robustly demonstrate an I See it Differently effect— two people can experience the same stimulus in qualitatively different ways, depending on prior experience. Future research should address the possibility of contamination of the effect by explicit recall.

Publication Date

2026-04-27

Publication Title

Psychonomic Bulletin and Review

ISSN

1069-9384

Acceptance Date

2026-04-07

Deposit Date

2026-04-13

Embargo Period

2027-04-27

This document is currently not available here.

This item is under embargo until 27 April 2027

Share

COinS