Perceptual categorization is an important cognitive function. In the auditory domain, categorization already occurs within the first 200 ms of information processing, as indexed by the mismatch negativity. Here, we assessed the characteristics of the visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) elicited during the categorization of previously unknown visual stimuli. To examine this, we used five-dot patterns with characteristics that allow for the formation of categories through rotation and reflection but not through other physical properties. To assess whether or not between-category and within-category vMMN differ in amplitude, the data was analyzed with the Bayesian approach. We observed that both between-category and within-category deviants elicited a vMMN, but that both vMMNs were comparable in magnitude. This finding suggests that abstract categorical representations are not always automatically processed at early visual stages and demonstrates limitations of generalization from the auditory domain to visual domain.

知觉分类是一种重要的认知功能。在听觉领域，分类已经发生在信息处理的前 200 毫秒内，如失配负性所索引。在这里，我们评估了在以前未知的视觉刺激分类过程中引发的视觉失配负性 (vMMN) 的特征。为了检查这一点，我们使用了五点图案，其特征允许通过旋转和反射而不是通过其他物理属性形成类别。为了评估类别间和类别内 vMMN 的幅度是否不同，使用贝叶斯方法分析数据。我们观察到类别间和类别内的偏差都引起了 vMMN，但两个 vMMN 在数量上是可比的。