Introducing the brief reverse correlation: An improved tool to assess visual representations

Abstract

The reverse correlation is an innovative method to capture visual representations (i.e., classification images, CIs) of social targets. However, this method necessitates many trials to compute high-quality CIs, which poses important practical and economic challenges. We introduce a new version of the reverse correlation method, namely, the Brief-RC. By increasing the number of stimuli (i.e., noisy faces) presented at each trial, the Brief-RC improves the quality of individual (and average) CIs and lowers the overall task length. In two experiments, assessments by external judges confirmed that the new method delivers equally good (Experiment 1) or higher-quality (Experiment 2) outcomes than the traditional method for the same number of trials, time length and number of stimuli. The informational values of CIs were also compared using a more objective metric (infoVal). Because the Brief-RC facilitates the production of higher-quality individual CIs, social psychology researchers may more easily address a series of relevant research questions.