Maximum likelihood estimation of perceptual differences in sorting tasks

Yulong Liu, Huazhi Li, Yali Xiang, Mengni Zhou, Qingqing Li, Hongtao Yu, Yoshimichi Ejima, Satoshi Takahashi, Jiajia Yang, Bin Bai, Xinian Yi and Jinglong Wu

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 5, 1-23

Abstract: Psychophysical paradigms are foundational for quantifying perceptual discrimination. Yet, a persistent trade-off between assessment efficiency and accuracy limits their broad applicability. To address this, we introduce a novel evaluation model grounded in maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) for perceptual sorting tasks. This work details the model’s formulation, validates its performance through simulation, and demonstrates its efficacy in a tactile angle-sorting experiment. Our findings reveal that the sorting paradigm, particularly with five stimuli across three trials, achieves an optimal balance of efficiency and robustness. This method provides a potentially useful and relatively efficient approach for assessing perceptual discriminability within the tactile experimental context, with preliminary indications of its applicability in both research and practical screening.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0349396

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0349396

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