Pascal Mamassian

Pascal Mamassian

@mamassian.bsky.social

I’m studying visual perception, mostly using psychophysics. I work for the CNRS at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris.

1.6K followers255 following135 posts

Pascal Mamassian reposted

David Poeppel
@davidpoeppel.bsky.social

Psych&CNS@NYU seeking t-track asst prof with outstanding record in human neurosci. Examples of areas (but not limited to): attention, perception, decision making, memory, executive function. Research incorporating neuroimaging (e.g. fMRI) preferred. Appl deadline Nov 15. apply.interfolio.com/195772

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

What’s the relationship between different aspects of visual time perception? To address this question, I propose a classification in four clusters of twelve classic visual time phenomena. Comments/criticisms welcome, including by email. osf.io/preprints/ps...

osf.ioTowards a taxonomy for visual time perceptionThe investigation of visual time perception has uncovered a large variety of phenomena, but how these phenomena are related to each other is unclear. The ambition of the present review is to propose a...

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Arte-mise
@arte-mise.bsky.social

Another case for an individual difference in colour perception ! And you what colour do you see: Blue or yellow? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dress

en.wikipedia.orgThe dress - Wikipedia
Kate Strasdin@katestrasdin.bsky.social

The yellow background could not possibly be brighter it seems, a backdrop to white and gold floral motifs accented with a cloud of white and metallic lace trimmings. Robe à la francaise #1760s #LACMA #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Perception / i-Perception
@pec-ipe.bsky.social

🔗 Can we really ignore the visual binding problem? Examples of visual illusions show that features such as colour and motion can be incorrectly combined, providing evidence that visual binding remains an important problem for understanding perception👁️ Read more: doi.org/10.1177/0301...

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Thanks Derek for your commentary on the debate of the visual binding problem! And thanks for the nice demos!

Derek Arnold@visnerd.bsky.social

A recent paper argued that there is no visual binding problem. I disagree, and wrote a response... journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... Related demonstrations can be found here... staff.psy.uq.edu.au/~uqdarnol/JS...

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Jonathan Vacher
@jon-v.bsky.social

Wanna generate rich and controlled textures to study vision ? Dyntex is now available on PyPI ! Read the doc : dynamic-textures.gitlab.io/dyntex-pytho... jov.arvojournals.org/article.aspx...

dynamic-textures.gitlab.ioDynamic Texture Package (dyntex) — DynTex 1.1 documentation
Pascal Mamassian@mamassian.bsky.social

Forget random-dot motion and drifting gratings, embrace "Motion Clouds", the motion stimulus of the 21st century! by: Andrew Meso Jonathan Vacher, @jon-v.bsky.social Nikos Gekas Pascal Mamassian, @mamassian.bsky.social Laurent Perrinet, @laurentperrinet.bsky.social Guillaume Masson

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

For those interested in this postdoctoral position: If you attend ECVP next week and would like to meet quickly, don't hesitate to drop me an email.

Pascal Mamassian@mamassian.bsky.social

Open post-doc position in the study of perceptual fluctuations Position: post-doctoral (2 years) Locations: Paris, France (Ecole Normale Supérieure / CNRS) and Lausanne, Switzerland (University of Lausanne / CHUV) Deadline: September 4th, 2026 Start Date: Fall 2026 (with some flexibility) (1/8)

Pascal Mamassian reposted

ECVP 2026
@ecvp.bsky.social

📱 The ECVP 2026 Scheduler App is here! 🎉 Explore all 622 keynotes, symposia, talks, posters & socials. Search, filter, build your schedule and export to your calendar — no app or sign-up needed! 👉 markwgreenlee.github.io/ecvp-2026-sc... Thanks to Mark Greenlee for developing this! 🙌 #ECVP2026

markwgreenlee.github.ioECVP 2026 SchedulerSearch and organize your ECVP 2026 (Bournemouth, August 23–27) conference schedule with full-text search, day/type filters, and calendar export.

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Perception / i-Perception
@pec-ipe.bsky.social

🎤 Perception Lecture at ECVP 2026 We are delighted to announce the Perception Lecture, sponsored by SAGE journals Perception and i-Perception. Join Karl Gegenfurtner for: 🌈 “Colour Vision — Then and Now” 📅 Sunday 23 August 📍 Bournemouth International Centre #ECVP2026 #ColorVision

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

groovy!

Perception / i-Perception@pec-ipe.bsky.social

🌊 👀 Can two simple patterns create something that really isn't there? This new paper introduces Dynamic Illusory Waves (DIWAs)—a striking illusion where relative motion gives rise to flowing, transparent phantom surfaces. Make your own: maltacogsci.org/diwa/ Full paper: doi.org/10.1177/2041...

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

How meaningful is it to search for the minimal exposure duration of a stimulus to understand visual perception? With Mark Wexler, we wrote a commentary on the article of Lanfranco et al., Nat. Commun., 2024: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comThe meaningfulness of searching for minimal exposure duration to understand visual perception - Nature CommunicationsNature Communications - The meaningfulness of searching for minimal exposure duration to understand visual perception

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Nadia Hosseinizaveh
@nadiahosseinizaveh.bsky.social

(1/6) My first first-author paper is now out in @nconsc.bsky.social! Part of my PhD work with @mamassian.bsky.social at @lsp-ens.bsky.social. We looked at how confidence behaves during a perceptual learning task with no feedback. academic.oup.com/nc/article/2...

academic.oup.comPerceptual learning without feedback is accompanied with systematic changes in confidence processingAbstract. Perceptual learning can occur without external feedback, raising questions about what internal signals might guide this learning. Here, we test t

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Steve Fleming
@smfleming.bsky.social

Lovely to see the full range of excellent commentaries on our BBS article with @matthiasmichel.bsky.social, together with our response, now out: Target article: www.cambridge.org/core/journal... Commentaries: www.cambridge.org/core/journal... Our response: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

cambridge.orgSensory horizons and the functions of conscious vision | Behavioral and Brain Sciences | Cambridge CoreSensory horizons and the functions of conscious vision - Volume 49
Matthias Michel@matthiasmichel.bsky.social

Very happy to announce that our paper “Sensory Horizons and the Functions of Conscious Vision” is now out as a target article in BBS!! @smfleming.bsky.social and I present a new theory of the evolution and functions of visual consciousness. Article here: doi.org/10.1017/S014.... A (long) thread 🧵

doi.orgSensory Horizons and the Functions of Conscious Vision | Behavioral and Brain Sciences | Cambridge CoreSensory Horizons and the Functions of Conscious Vision
Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Open post-doc position in the study of perceptual fluctuations Position: post-doctoral (2 years) Locations: Paris, France (Ecole Normale Supérieure / CNRS) and Lausanne, Switzerland (University of Lausanne / CHUV) Deadline: September 4th, 2026 Start Date: Fall 2026 (with some flexibility) (1/8)

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Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Applications should include: 1. Most recent CV 2. Documents confirming a PhD degree 3. Statement of intent, describing why you are a good fit for the position 4. Two letters of recommendation (or email addresses) from qualified academics familiar with your work (7/8)

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Open post-doc position in the study of perceptual fluctuations Position: post-doctoral (2 years) Locations: Paris, France (Ecole Normale Supérieure / CNRS) and Lausanne, Switzerland (University of Lausanne / CHUV) Deadline: September 4th, 2026 Start Date: Fall 2026 (with some flexibility) (1/8)

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Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Preferred skills: - Psychophysics software (e.g., Psychtoolbox, PsychoPy) - Programming (e.g., MATLAB, Python, C/C++) - Computational modeling (e.g. Bayesian models, Kalman filters) - Statistical analysis (e.g., in R) - Dedication to data collection in task batteries (5/8)

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

We seek dedicated, enthusiastic candidates with strong motivation to contribute to interdisciplinary research. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and genders. (6/8)

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Open post-doc position in the study of perceptual fluctuations Position: post-doctoral (2 years) Locations: Paris, France (Ecole Normale Supérieure / CNRS) and Lausanne, Switzerland (University of Lausanne / CHUV) Deadline: September 4th, 2026 Start Date: Fall 2026 (with some flexibility) (1/8)

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Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Why do individuals differ in how temporal context shapes their perceptual judgments? We will address this question through visual psychophysics and computational modeling methods, focusing on the interaction between endogenous perceptual traits and external factors. (3/8)

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Applicants should hold a PhD in Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related field. Experience in visual psychophysics is strongly valued. (4/8)

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Open post-doc position in the study of perceptual fluctuations Position: post-doctoral (2 years) Locations: Paris, France (Ecole Normale Supérieure / CNRS) and Lausanne, Switzerland (University of Lausanne / CHUV) Deadline: September 4th, 2026 Start Date: Fall 2026 (with some flexibility) (1/8)

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Perception / i-Perception
@pec-ipe.bsky.social

With profound sadness we announce the sudden and unexpected death of our Editor-in-Chief, Tim Meese. A founding editor of i-Perception, Tim was a pillar of the vision science community and instrumental in shaping the landscape of scientific publishing in our field.

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Very nice demo! Contrast reversals of the squares and their edges at different times make a huge difference.

Akiyoshi Kitaoka@akiyoshikitaoka.bsky.social

The two rows of squares are moving to the right at the same speed; however, the top row appears to be moving to the right, while the bottom one appears to be moving to the left. 上下の正方形の列は等速度で右に動いていますが、上の列は右に、下の列は左に動いているように見えます。

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Anyone seriously interested in synesthesia should watch this 1994 BBC programme, not just to see a younger Roger Watt! archive.org/details/bbch... And to confirm the end of the video, Kandinsky was indeed a synesthete: philharmoniedeparis.fr/fr/activite/...

archive.orgarchive.org
Roger Watt@rjwatt42.bsky.social

I'll say more about this 1994 BBC Synaesthesia prog later (after shopping). It is well worth its 47mins. It's so rich with positive lived experience. And a lot of it is probably about autism. I would love someone to make something like this about autism. #Autism #ActuallyAutistic 1/4

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
@cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social

Online Now: Perceptual multistability: a multifaceted window into brain dysfunctions

dlvr.itPerceptual multistability: a multifaceted window into brain dysfunctionsPerceptual multistability, observed across species and sensory modalities, offers valuable insights into numerous cognitive functions and dysfunctions. For instance, differences in temporal dynamics and information integration during percept formation often distinguish clinical from nonclinical populations. Computational psychiatry can elucidate these variations through two primary approaches: (i) Bayesian modeling, which treats perception as an unconscious inference, and (ii) an active, information-seeking perspective (e.g., reinforcement learning), which frames perceptual switches as internal actions. Our synthesis aims to leverage multistability to bridge these computational psychiatry subfields, linking human and animal studies as well as connecting behavior to underlying neural mechanisms. Perceptual multistability emerges as a promising noninvasive tool for clinical applications, facilitating translational research and enhancing our mechanistic understanding of cognitive processes and their impairments.
Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

In this image, the square tiles look like diamond shapes when light grazes the surface. (The square tiles are actually floor heating elements) Probably related to the coffer illusion by Anthony Norcia.

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Congratulations Karl! @pec-ipe.bsky.social

ECVP 2026@ecvp.bsky.social

🎤 ECVP 2026 Perception Lecture Karl Gegenfurtner - University of Giessen Colour Vision — Then and Now Exploring fundamental questions in colour vision using VR, deep neural networks, and large-scale behavioural experiments. Sponsored by Sage – Perception / i-Perception 🎨 #ECVP2026 #ColorVision

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Now published in Perception (@pec-ipe.bsky.social)! Schulz-Hildebrandt, H. (2026). When purple perceived only at fixation: A fixation- and distance-dependent color illusion. Perception, 0(0). doi.org/10.1177/0301...

doi.orgWhen purple perceived only at fixation: A fixation- and distance-dependent color illusion - Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt, 2026In this paper, an optical illusion is described in which purple elements are perceived as purple at the point of fixation, while surrounding elements of the sam...
Pascal Mamassian@mamassian.bsky.social

A nice shift in perceived colour between central and peripheral vision. The fixated disc looks purple while the others look blue. The effect presumably comes from the absence of S-cones in the fovea. From Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt: arxiv.org/pdf/2509.115...

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Kate Storrs
@katestorrs.bsky.social

Our latest paper, “Visual language models show widespread visual deficits on neuropsychological tests”, is now out in Nature Machine Intelligence: www.nature.com/articles/s42... Non-paywalled version: arxiv.org/abs/2504.10786 Tweet thread below from first author @genetang.bsky.social...

nature.comVisual language models show widespread visual deficits on neuropsychological tests - Nature Machine IntelligenceTangtartharakul and Storrs use standardized neuropsychological tests to compare human visual abilities with those of visual language models (VLMs). They report that while VLMs excel in high-level obje...
Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

The CNRS (@cnrs.fr) and the Ecole Normale Supérieure/PSL University (@normalesup.bsky.social) is launching a 5-year International Research Project (IRP) with University College London (@ucl.ac.uk) on human perception and consciousness. www.ucl.ac.uk/global/news/...

ucl.ac.ukUCL launches landmark European collaboration on perception scienceUCL is working with top French partners CNRS and ENS – PSL on a major European research initiative to advance understanding of human perception and consciousness.
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Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Ironically, this has happened at a time in which artificial networks have revolutionized automatic segmentation. Here we direct the spotlight on the convergence between new algorithms and experimental approaches to study segmentation of natural images.

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

This renewed opportunity to transform our understanding of perceptual organization will require closer integration between segmentation experiments and algorithms. The examples discussed in this paper demonstrate encouraging initial steps towards this goal.

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Perceptual segmentation is central to how visual systems achieve their functional goals, yet research on human segmentation has fallen somewhat out of fashion in the last decade.

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Marika Constant
@marikaconstant.bsky.social

🎉 Excited to share this! Low-level, naturally formed priors influence our perceptual inferences, but do they impact our confidence in the same way? With @elifilevich.bsky.social and @mamassian.bsky.social we found: they influence confidence even more strongly! More👇 1/5 dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

dx.plos.orgLong-term perceptual priors drive confidence bias that favors prior-congruent evidenceAuthor summary Prior expectations play a critical role in shaping not only the perceptual inferences that we make, but also how confident we feel about those inferences. Bayesian confidence models cap...

Pascal Mamassian reposted

Arte-mise
@arte-mise.bsky.social

Exposition Bridget Riley et Seurat au musée d’Orsay jusqu’au 26 janvier, l’artiste presque centenaire, gloire de l’art cinétique, eu la révélation des interactions des couleurs en copiant Seurat en 1959. L’occasion rare de faire l’expérience sensible des liens reliant ces 2 géants de la perception

Pascal Mamassian
@mamassian.bsky.social

Congratulations Sara and Guido! The two of you look beautiful!

Guido Maiello@guidomaiello.bsky.social

Sara and I got married last Friday (12.12.2025) ❤️It was a lovely day. As always, things are slightly complicated, but Sara is amazing. Full update: gofund.me/b127be3ca

gofund.meDonate to Sara's Brain Cancer Treatments, organized by Guido MaielloDear Family and Friends, Old and New, We are the family of Sara Joy Hawkins, and this… Guido Maiello needs your support for Sara's Brain Cancer Treatments