Dot Distortions Dataset Tutorial
RECOMMENDED: follow along on Google Colab
Optional: Jupyter-style full screen mode. Clone the GitHub Repo.
![](/writing-assets/ddd-tutorial/posner-1967-fig1.png)
Early dot distortion patterns by Posner, Goldsmith and Welton in 1967
Introduction
Selectively distorted dot patterns are a classic stimuli scheme1 that has been used in cognitive psychology research for many decades. It has been instrumental in establishing many core concepts like ‘prototypes’2, among others.
I have implemented the dot pattern generation method proposed by Smith et al. (2005)3 from scratch in Python for easy integration with PyTorch. I hope that cross-pollination efforts like this one will catalyze exciting research at the intersection of psychology and machine learning (computer science).
By the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid understanding of all the ‘buttons and levers’ on this dataset, and be able to train a basic neural network on it.
The original code is supposedly written in Turbo Pascal (a programming language of the ancient Babylonians or something…).
Minimal Example
For our first demonstration, we will create 16 examples of a single category.
from DotDistortionsDataset import DotDistortions
dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 16,
train_like = True, # single shape in image, with no distractors
category_seeds = [8], # pick a favorite number
num_categories = 1,
)
Since we’re starting from scratch, we must call produce()
on the dataset. This will actually generate the dataset according to the parameters we set above, and save it so that we can load it later.
dataset.produce('temp/mini_dataset.pkl')
dataloader = iter(dataset) # iter() turns a dataset into an iterator, which allows us to fetch consecutive data points using next()
image, bboxes, labels = next(dataloader)
Let’s see the first image in this dataset:
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.imshow(image, cmap='gray')
<matplotlib.image.AxesImage at 0x7f599d75b9a0>
Bounding box defines the outermost points on the shape:
bboxes
(30, 39, 120, 111)
Label refers to the category. This dataset will always create the same shape for any given label number. Technically speaking, the label (category) number seeds the random number generator.
labels
8
Let’s see the whole dataset:
# just a little function to show images in a grid
def show_bunch(
dataset,
rows = 2,
x_figsize=20,
y_figsize=5,):
dataset.produce()
dataloader=iter(dataset)
fig = plt.figure(figsize=(x_figsize,y_figsize))
for i in range(len(dataset)):
image, bboxes, labels = next(dataloader)
ax = fig.add_subplot(rows, len(dataset)//rows, i+1)
ax.set_title(str(labels))
# no ticks
ax.set_xticks([])
ax.set_yticks([])
ax.imshow(image, cmap='gray')
dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 16,
train_like = True, # single shape in image, with no distractors
category_seeds = [8], # pick a favorite number
num_categories = 1,
)
show_bunch(dataset)
Playing with Dataset Parameters
Distortion Level
Notice how the above shapes are all quite similar to each other. It would be pretty easy to learn these shapes from the images.
What happens if we increase the distortion level?
dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 8,
train_like = True, # single shape in image, with no distractors
category_seeds = [8], # pick a favorite number
num_categories = 1,
distortion_level = '7.7' # MAXIMUM distortion!
)
show_bunch(dataset, rows=1, x_figsize=20, y_figsize=2.5)
With a high distortion level of ‘7.7’, it becomes harder to see the commonality between the shapes.
Choose from: '1','2','3','4,'5','6,'7.7'
.
Categories
dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 16,
train_like = True,
category_seeds = [2**11, 314, 777], # pick three favorite numbers
num_categories = 3, # match the number of categories
distortion_level = '1' # no distortion
)
show_bunch(dataset, rows=2, x_figsize=20, y_figsize=5)
Supplying the same number into category_seeds
will always generate the same basic shapes. The order and shading type will always be random.
Test-like Mode
In the reference literature, subjects were trained to identify single-shape images (shown above). Then, they were shown an image containing 7 mixed shapes containing 0 or 1 shape from the trained categories. Participants were asked to select whether they saw a trained shape in the test image.
For example, let’s say that one of the shapes we were trained to identify was:
dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 1,
train_like = True, # single shape in image, with no distractors
category_seeds = [52], # pick a favorite number
num_categories = 1,
)
show_bunch(dataset, rows=1, x_figsize=5, y_figsize=5)
Do you see this shape in each of the test images below?
dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 4,
train_like = False, # test mode
category_seeds = [52],
num_categories = 1,
distortion_level = '1', # no distortion; easy mode
test_like_exists_probability=1.0, # test image will certainly contain a shape of trained category
total_shapes = 7, # total number of shapes in test image
)
show_bunch(dataset, rows=2, x_figsize=20, y_figsize=15)
The answer is YES!
Note: The category numbers of random (non-trained) shapes are all ‘-1’.
Here are some more examples of test images, but now some do not contain the shape we were trained to identify.
dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 4,
train_like = False, # test mode
category_seeds = [52],
num_categories = 1,
distortion_level = '1', # no distortion; easy mode
test_like_exists_probability=0.25, # a quarter of the test images will contain a shape of trained category
total_shapes = 7, # total number of shapes in test image
)
show_bunch(dataset, rows=2, x_figsize=20, y_figsize=15)
To check your guesses, an all-'-1' title means no shapes of the trained categories exist in that test image.
Conversion to PyTorch Tensor
When using the dataset with PyTorch for deep learning, we need to convert the outputs of our dataset into tensors.
I have made that as easy as setting torch_transform = True
.
dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 16,
train_like = True,
category_seeds = [37,65,129],
num_categories = 3,
torch_transform = True, # convert output to torch tensors
)
dataset.produce()
image, bboxes, labels = next(iter(dataset)) # get the first image and related data
Just to confirm:
print(type(image))
print(image.shape)
<class 'torch.Tensor'>
torch.Size([150, 150])
print(type(bboxes))
print(bboxes)
<class 'torch.Tensor'>
tensor([ 36, 33, 114, 117])
Labels are turned into zero-indexed integers. (That’s just the way PyTorch likes it)
That is, our category seeds [37, 65, 129] will be turned into [0, 1, 2]. You as the researcher should keep track of this relation.
print(type(labels))
print(labels)
<class 'torch.Tensor'>
tensor([0])
Saving and Loading Dataset
If you are using this tool in seriousness, you should be keeping track of the parameters you set.
However, even with the exact same parameters, some features of the dataset will change between instantiations. (e.g. shading pattern type, location of shapes on test image).
Therefore, if you want perfect reproducibility, you should save the dataset.
The dataset was already automatically saved when you called produce()
at the beginning (see ‘temp’ directory), but if you want to save the dataset yourself, you can do so by calling save(new_dataset_name.pkl)
.
plt.imshow(image, cmap='gray')
<matplotlib.image.AxesImage at 0x7f599967a760>
dataset.save('temp/demo_dataset.pkl')
Then, when you’re ready to work on that same dataset, create an empty dataset, and load the saved dataset pickle file:
dataset = DotDistortions()
dataset.load('temp/demo_dataset.pkl')
image, bboxes, labels = next(iter(dataset)) # let's see if we loaded it properly
plt.imshow(image, cmap='gray') # should be the same image as above
<matplotlib.image.AxesImage at 0x7f59996aa460>
Feeding into Neural Network
All of the above was just a prelude to this main part.
For this demonstration, we will use the training condition (single shape in image) only.
Check back on my blog jasonsohn.com for testing conditions examples using object detection networks, coming soon!
By now we are familiar with instantiating and generating a dataset:
train_dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 16000,
train_like = True,
category_seeds = [2**11, 314, 777], # pick three favorite numbers
num_categories = 3, # match the number of categories
distortion_level = '7.7', # no distortion
torch_transform=True, # convert output to torch tensors
)
train_dataset.produce()
test_dataset = DotDistortions(
length = 1600,
train_like = True,
category_seeds = [2**11, 314, 777], # pick three favorite numbers
num_categories = 3, # match the number of categories
distortion_level = '7.7', # no distortion
torch_transform=True, # convert output to torch tensors
)
test_dataset.produce()
Previously, we simply wrapped the dataset in iter()
and called next()
on the iterator to retrieve data. The proper PyTorch way is to use DataLoader
.
batch_size = 16
from torch.utils.data import DataLoader
import torch.optim as optim
import torch
trainloader = DataLoader(train_dataset, batch_size=batch_size, shuffle=False)
testloader = DataLoader(test_dataset, batch_size=batch_size, shuffle=False)
# manual seed for reproducibility
torch.manual_seed(5)
<torch._C.Generator at 0x7f5a5a7f21f0>
We define a basic convolutional neural network:
import torch.nn as nn
import torch.nn.functional as F
class BasicConvNet(nn.Module):
def __init__(self, num_classes=3, dropout=0.5):
super(BasicConvNet, self).__init__()
self.features = nn.Sequential(
nn.Conv2d(1, 16, kernel_size=5, stride=2, padding=2),
nn.ReLU(inplace=True),
nn.Conv2d(16, 32, kernel_size=5, stride=2, padding=2),
nn.ReLU(inplace=True),
nn.Conv2d(32,64, kernel_size=5, stride=2, padding=2),
nn.ReLU(inplace=True),
nn.Conv2d(64,128, kernel_size=5, stride=2, padding=2),
nn.ReLU(inplace=True),
nn.Conv2d(128,128, kernel_size=5, stride=2, padding=2),
nn.ReLU(inplace=True),
nn.Conv2d(128,128, kernel_size=5, stride=2, padding=2),
nn.ReLU(inplace=True),
nn.Conv2d(128,256, kernel_size=3, padding=1)
)
self.avgpool = nn.AdaptiveAvgPool2d((6, 6))
self.classifier = nn.Sequential(
nn.Dropout(p=dropout),
nn.Linear(9216, 1000),
nn.ReLU(inplace=True),
nn.Dropout(p=dropout),
nn.Linear(1000, num_classes),
)
def forward(self, x):
x = self.features(x)
x = self.avgpool(x)
x = torch.flatten(x,1)
x = self.classifier(x)
x = F.log_softmax(x, dim=0)
return x
net = BasicConvNet()
net = net.to(device)
Then, we define the loss function and optimizer:
criterion = nn.CrossEntropyLoss()
#optimizer = optim.SGD(net.parameters(), lr=0.01, momentum=0.5)
optimizer = optim.Adam(net.parameters(), lr=1e-4)
for epoch in range(10):
running_loss = 0.0
for i, data in enumerate(trainloader, 0):
images, bboxes, labels = data
labels = labels.flatten()
images = images.unsqueeze(1)
images = 2 * (images - 0.5) # [0-1] to [-1,1]
images = images.to(device)
labels = labels.to(device)
outputs = net(images)
optimizer.zero_grad()
loss = criterion(outputs, labels)
loss.backward()
optimizer.step()
running_loss += loss.item()
print(f"Epoch {epoch + 1}, loss: {running_loss:.3f}")
running_loss = 0.0
with torch.no_grad():
correct = 0
total = 0
for i,d in enumerate(testloader,0):
images, bboxes, labels = d
images = 2 * (images - 0.5)
images = images.unsqueeze(1)
labels = labels.flatten()
images = images.to(device)
labels = labels.to(device)
outputs = net(images)
#softmax_labels = F.log_softmax(outputs, dim=1)
preds_classes = torch.argmax(outputs, axis=-1)
correct += int(torch.sum(preds_classes.cpu() == labels.cpu()))
total += batch_size
print(f"\tTest Accuracy: {100*correct/total:.3f} %")
#plt.show(visualize_layer(net, 0))
Epoch 1, loss: 54.871
Test Accuracy: 99.188 %
Epoch 2, loss: 2.288
Test Accuracy: 99.250 %
Epoch 3, loss: 3.773
Test Accuracy: 98.812 %
Epoch 4, loss: 2.126
Test Accuracy: 99.188 %
Epoch 5, loss: 3.418
Test Accuracy: 99.750 %
Epoch 6, loss: 1.318
Test Accuracy: 99.438 %
Epoch 7, loss: 1.984
Test Accuracy: 99.500 %
Epoch 8, loss: 2.267
Test Accuracy: 99.562 %
Epoch 9, loss: 1.251
Test Accuracy: 99.250 %
Epoch 10, loss: 0.488
Test Accuracy: 99.750 %
That’s it for this tutorial. Check back on jasonsohn.com for updates and extensions to this tutorial.
Now, go and run with it!
-
POSNER, MICHAEL I.; GOLDSMITH, RALPH; WELTON, KENNETH E., Jr. (1967). PERCEIVED DISTANCE AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF DISTORTED PATTERNS.. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 73(1), 28–38. doi:10.1037/h0024135 ↩︎
-
POSNER, MICHAEL I.; KEELE, STEVEN W. (1968). ON THE GENESIS OF ABSTRACT IDEAS.. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 77(3, Pt.1), 353–363. doi:10.1037/h0025953 ↩︎
-
Smith, J. David; Redford, Joshua S.; Gent, Lauren C.; Washburn, David A. (2005). Visual Search and the Collapse of Categorization. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 134(4), 443–460. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.134.4.443 ↩︎
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