The psychophysics of remembered affordances

The psychophysics of remembered affordances | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The psychophysics of remembered affordances Brandon Thomas, Allison Cunningham, Jenica Giese, Reanne Dwyer This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6866211/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 07 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Psychological Research → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The current study is a novel investigation of remembered affordances using the analytic framework of memory psychophysics, which generally demonstrates memory degradation for stimulus magnitudes even after short delay intervals. Participants made perceived and remembered reports of the affordance reach-with-ability and length (a proportional physical dimension of reach-with-ability) of a series of rods. The scaling exponent (i.e., discriminability, sensitivity, certainty) for length reports decreased after a 1 min retention interval and distractor task, while the scaling exponents for perceived and remembered reports of reach-with-ability did not differ. The findings demonstrate that memory psychophysics offers a useful framework to study affordance cognition. It also adds to the literature that demonstrates the direct perception of affordances and the unique stability (lack of memory degradation) for affordances compared to basic physical dimensions. Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 07 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Psychological Research → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 22 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 21 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 26 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 17 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 13 Jun, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 11 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 10 Jun, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6866211","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":472658964,"identity":"b3356d33-8a4b-4a63-b5ed-2db030aa6640","order_by":0,"name":"Brandon Thomas","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAqElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCTB5QA7CYyNCBw9UizHpWhIbiNZiL918dMOPP3fSN9zIMWD4UHaYCFtkjqXd7G17lgvSwjjjHDFaJHLMbvA2HM7dcDt3AzNvG5Fabv75czjdAKTlL7FabvOwHU4Aa2EkSsuNtLTbsm3PDGfef//hYM+5dMJa2GckH7v55s8deb4zxxIf/CizJqwFBRwgUf0oGAWjYBSMAlwAAASkQmFWAE40AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University of Wisconsin–Whitewater","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Brandon","middleName":"","lastName":"Thomas","suffix":""},{"id":472658965,"identity":"20f9b621-da40-452a-a573-908fb4d4143e","order_by":1,"name":"Allison Cunningham","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Wisconsin–Whitewater","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Allison","middleName":"","lastName":"Cunningham","suffix":""},{"id":472658967,"identity":"ce113e00-56a8-4eda-b9a6-0ab93cafd5c4","order_by":2,"name":"Jenica Giese","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Wisconsin–Whitewater","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jenica","middleName":"","lastName":"Giese","suffix":""},{"id":472658969,"identity":"76ffa586-0710-4c37-82e4-08c03a967d15","order_by":3,"name":"Reanne Dwyer","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Wisconsin–Whitewater","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Reanne","middleName":"","lastName":"Dwyer","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-06-10 21:08:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6866211/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6866211/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-025-02201-5","type":"published","date":"2025-11-07T15:57:54+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":95564194,"identity":"b321f2f5-0531-48e7-87e9-4799ecf80eba","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-10 16:08:46","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":502012,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"RememberedpsychophysicsofaffordancesPsychologicalResearch.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6866211/v1_covered_a7e8066e-bc53-4ebe-b9ef-14d4cb1c73c0.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The psychophysics of remembered affordances","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"psychological-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"prpf","sideBox":"Learn more about [Psychological Research](http://link.springer.com/journal/426)","snPcode":"426","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/426/3","title":"Psychological Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6866211/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6866211/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe current study is a novel investigation of remembered affordances using the analytic framework of memory psychophysics, which generally demonstrates memory degradation for stimulus magnitudes even after short delay intervals. Participants made perceived and remembered reports of the affordance reach-with-ability and length (a proportional physical dimension of reach-with-ability) of a series of rods. The scaling exponent (i.e., discriminability, sensitivity, certainty) for length reports decreased after a 1 min retention interval and distractor task, while the scaling exponents for perceived and remembered reports of reach-with-ability did not differ. The findings demonstrate that memory psychophysics offers a useful framework to study affordance cognition. It also adds to the literature that demonstrates the direct perception of affordances and the unique stability (lack of memory degradation) for affordances compared to basic physical dimensions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The psychophysics of remembered affordances","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-19 12:30:26","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6866211/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-07-22T13:39:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-07-21T21:35:13+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-06-26T09:10:28+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"275458201673883985030385947089611602012","date":"2025-06-17T15:49:57+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"85289220693338589569263227803247053382","date":"2025-06-17T12:44:16+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-06-17T12:39:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-06-13T13:26:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-06-11T10:23:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Psychological Research","date":"2025-06-10T21:05:44+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"psychological-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"prpf","sideBox":"Learn more about [Psychological Research](http://link.springer.com/journal/426)","snPcode":"426","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/426/3","title":"Psychological Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"b865d2df-073c-4cd3-bbc2-126967d141b6","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 19th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-10T16:05:22+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6866211","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-025-02201-5","journal":{"identity":"psychological-research","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Psychological Research"},"publishedOn":"2025-11-07 15:57:54","publishedOnDateReadable":"November 7th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-19 12:30:26","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s00426-025-02201-5","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-025-02201-5","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6866211","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6866211","identity":"rs-6866211","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}