Psychophysics and Experimental Phenomenology of Pattern Cognition

Dr. Hamada received his Bachelor’s degree in Experimental and Mathematical Psychology (1971) from Tokushima University, his Master’s degree in Color Vision (1973) from Osaka Kyoiku University, and his PhD degree in Experimental and Mathematical Psychology (1980) from Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. Based at Tokushima University since 1982, he has been Professor Emeritus since 2013. In 1991 he was a guest scientist at Department of Sensory Neurophysiology of Institut für Arbeitsphysiologie at Dortmund University, Germany. His main research areas are in symmetry cognition, contour perception, brightness illusion, geometrical illusion, and negative time-order effect on weight sensation.

Part 1. Symmetry cognition 1. Rotational and reflectional transformations 2. Goodness and simplicity of dot patterns in a regular hexagonal grid 3. Cognitive judgments and group theoretical model for dot patterns in a square grid 4. A three-stage model with group theory and a spatial filter for cognitive judgments 5. Cognitive judgments for repetitive patterns 6. Cognitive judgments for one-dimensional black-and-white filled patterns

Part 2. Contour perception and brightness illusion 7. Mathematical models of an antagonistic process of excitation and inhibition 8. The brightness illusions and a five-level qualitative model based on the decrease in brightness levels 9. A five-level qualitative model for various aspects of brightness contrast 10. A three-level qualitative model for the Ehrenstein illusions

Part 3. Size of the circle in a geometrical illusion 11. The Ebbinghaus illusion as a circle size contrast 12. The Delboeuf illusion by comparative judgment 13. Concentric circle illusion and judgment-order effect by absolute judgments

Part 4. Negative time-order effect on weight sensation 14. Excitation and inhibition in negative time-order effect