Kanagawa University Joint Research
Elucidation of Perception and Cognition Systems producing Plausibility and Incongruity

Mission

We frequently experience a sense of incongruity and plausibility for an object. For example, if only one pink truck is mixed in the black-painted convoy of the state guest, it feels strange. However, even if a grey sedan-type passenger car is mixed in that convoy, it is unlikely that you will get something strange, and this incongruity cannot be explained by the perceptual factor caused only by the difference in visual information such as the colour of the car. Also, the connection of sounds, probably melody or scale, in avant-garde music feels strange when listened to on basis of traditional classical music. Again, it is difficult to explain this only by the auditory temporal dynamics.
We are generally unaware of the distinction among perceptual, cognitive, and affective reasons to cause the incongruity and plausibility of individual objects. These causes may also occur continuously or in parallel. However, it is unclear yet.
So far, less challenge has been made to comprehensively understand the mechanism causing incongruity and plausibility in such issues. Therefore, the purpose is to clarify this issue systematically and scientifically by mutually sharing academic knowledge and technology in each specialized field (perceptual psychology, intuitive science, cognitive psychology) of the members of this research group. Therefore, this research project will be jointly conducted.