CCognition3/20/2026

Decision-level processes in rapid numerosity estimation

How do people rapidly judge numerosity-the number of objects in a scene? Theories of human numerical judgements are constrained by the behavioural patterns emerging when people estimate numerosity, such as exact enumeration of small sets, underestimation of large sets, and scalar variability. Current computational models capture how properties of stimulus representations can lead to characteristic behavioural patterns under rapid viewing conditions. Here, we examined which decision-level process