Splitting the Beam: Distribution of Attention Over Noncontiguous Regions of the Visual Field

1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 381-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur F. Kramer ◽  
Sowon Hahn
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Sudden Onset ◽  
Divide Attention

In an effort to examine the flexibility with which attention can be allocated in visual space, we investigated whether subjects could selectively attend to multiple noncontiguous locations in the visual field We examined this issue by precuing two separate areas of the visual field and requiring subjects to decide whether the letters that appeared in these locations matched or mismatched while distractors that primed either the match or mismatch response were presented between the cued locations If the distractors had no effect on performance, it would provide evidence that subjects can divide attention over noncontiguous areas of space Subjects were able to ignore the distractors when the targets and distractors were presented as nononset stimuli (i e, when premasks were changed into the targets and distractors) In contrast, when the targets and distractors were presented as sudden-onset stimuli, subjects were unable to ignore the distractors These results begin to define the conditions under which attention can be flexibly deployed to multiple noncontiguous locations in the visual field

scholarly journals Visual numerosity estimation is based on anisotropic representations of visual space

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miao Li ◽  
Bert Reynvoet ◽  
Bilge Sayim
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Convex Hull ◽  
Visual Fields ◽  
Spatial Vision ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Stimulus Features ◽  
Numerosity Estimation ◽  
Numerosity Perception ◽  
Average Eccentricity ◽  
Shed Light

Humans can estimate the number of visually displayed items without counting. This capacity of numerosity perception has often been attributed to a dedicated system to estimate numerosity, or alternatively to the exploitation of various stimulus features, such as density, convex hull, the size of items and occupancy area. The distribution of the presented items is usually not varied with eccentricity in the visual field. However, our visual fields are highly asymmetric, and to date, it is unclear how inhomogeneities of the visual field impact numerosity perception. Besides eccentricity, a pronounced asymmetry is the radial-tangential anisotropy. For example, in crowding, radially placed flankers interfere more strongly with target perception than tangentially placed flankers. Similarly, in redundancy masking, the number of perceived items in repeating patterns is reduced when the items are arranged radially but not when they are arranged tangentially. Here, we investigated whether numerosity perception is subject to the radial-tangential anisotropy of spatial vision to shed light on the underlying topology of numerosity perception. Observers were presented with varying numbers of discs and asked to report the perceived number. There were two conditions. Discs were predominantly arranged radially in the “radial” condition and tangentially in the “tangential” condition. Additionally, the spacing between discs was scaled with eccentricity. Physical properties, such as average eccentricity, average spacing, convex hull, and density were kept as similar as possible in the two conditions. Radial arrangements were expected to yield underestimation compared to tangential arrangements. Consistent with the hypothesis, numerosity estimates in the radial condition were lower compared to the tangential condition. Magnitudes of radial alignment (as well as predicted crowding strength) correlated with the observed numerosity estimates. Our results demonstrate a robust radial-tangential anisotropy, suggesting that the topology of spatial vision determines numerosity estimation. We suggest that asymmetries of spatial vision should be taken into account when investigating numerosity estimation.

scholarly journals Idiosyncratic Perception: A Link Between Acuity, Perceived Position, and Apparent Size

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zixuan Wang ◽  
Yuki Murai ◽  
David Whitney
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Human Perception ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Apparent Size ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Object Size ◽  
Vernier Acuity ◽  
Visual Hierarchy ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractPerceiving the positions of objects is a prerequisite for most other visual and visuomotor functions, but human perception of object position varies from one individual to the next. The source of these individual differences in perceived position and their perceptual consequences are unknown. Here, we tested whether idiosyncratic biases in the underlying representation of visual space propagate across different levels of visual processing. In Experiment 1, using a position matching task, we found stable, observer-specific compressions and expansions within local regions throughout the visual field. We then measured Vernier acuity (Experiment 2) and perceived size of objects (Experiment 3) across the visual field and found that individualized spatial distortions were closely associated with variations in both visual acuity and apparent object size. Our results reveal idiosyncratic biases in perceived position and size, originating from a heterogeneous spatial resolution that carries across the visual hierarchy.

scholarly journals Idiosyncratic perception: a link between acuity, perceived position and apparent size

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1930) ◽  
pp. 20200825
Author(s):  
Zixuan Wang ◽  
Yuki Murai ◽  
David Whitney
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Human Perception ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Apparent Size ◽  
Matching Task ◽  
Object Size ◽  
Vernier Acuity ◽  
Visual Hierarchy ◽  
Different Levels

Perceiving the positions of objects is a prerequisite for most other visual and visuomotor functions, but human perception of object position varies from one individual to the next. The source of these individual differences in perceived position and their perceptual consequences are unknown. Here, we tested whether idiosyncratic biases in the underlying representation of visual space propagate across different levels of visual processing. In Experiment 1, using a position matching task, we found stable, observer-specific compressions and expansions within local regions throughout the visual field. We then measured Vernier acuity (Experiment 2) and perceived size of objects (Experiment 3) across the visual field and found that individualized spatial distortions were closely associated with variations in both visual acuity and apparent object size. Our results reveal idiosyncratic biases in perceived position and size, originating from a heterogeneous spatial resolution that carries across the visual hierarchy.

scholarly journals Rivalry Onset in and around the Fovea: The Role of Visual Field Location and Eye Dominance on Perceptual Dominance Bias

Vision ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Jody Stanley ◽  
Jason D. Forte ◽  
Olivia Carter
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Binocular Rivalry ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Peripheral Visual Field ◽  
Eye Dominance ◽  
Initial Onset ◽  
Onset Period ◽  
Trained Observers ◽  
Field Location

When dissimilar images are presented to each eye, the images will alternate every few seconds in a phenomenon known as binocular rivalry. Recent research has found evidence of a bias towards one image at the initial ‘onset’ period of rivalry that varies across the peripheral visual field. To determine the role that visual field location plays in and around the fovea at onset, trained observers were presented small orthogonal achromatic grating patches at various locations across the central 3° of visual space for 1-s and 60-s intervals. Results reveal stronger bias at onset than during continuous rivalry, and evidence of temporal hemifield dominance across observers, however, the nature of the hemifield effects differed between individuals and interacted with overall eye dominance. Despite using small grating patches, a high proportion of mixed percept was still reported, with more mixed percept at onset along the vertical midline, in general, and in increasing proportions with eccentricity in the lateral hemifields. Results show that even within the foveal range, onset rivalry bias varies across visual space, and differs in degree and sensitivity to biases in average dominance over continuous viewing.

scholarly journals Retinotopic maps of visual space in the human cerebellum

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.M. van Es ◽  
W. van der Zwaag ◽  
T. Knapen
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Visuospatial Cognition ◽  
Retinotopic Maps ◽  
Oculomotor Vermis ◽  
Human Cerebellum ◽  
Visual Field Maps

While the cerebellum is instrumental for motor control, it is not traditionally implicated in vision. Here, we report the existence of 5 ipsilateral visual field maps in the human cerebellum. These maps are located within the oculomotor vermis and cerebellar nodes of the dorsal attention and visual networks. These findings imply that the cerebellum is closely involved in visuospatial cognition, and that its contributions are anchored in sensory coordinates.

scholarly journals Gaze stabilisation behaviour is anisotropic across visual field locations in zebrafish

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian A. Dehmelt ◽  
Rebecca Meier ◽  
Julian Hinz ◽  
Takeshi Yoshimatsu ◽  
Clara A. Simacek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual System ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Visual Fields ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Stimulus Size ◽  
Motion Vision ◽  
Optokinetic Response ◽  
Retinal Photoreceptor

AbstractMany animals have large visual fields, and sensory circuits may sample those regions of visual space most relevant to behaviours such as gaze stabilisation and hunting. Despite this, relatively small displays are often used in vision neuroscience. To sample stimulus locations across most of the visual field, we built a spherical stimulus arena with 14,848 independently controllable LEDs, measured the optokinetic response gain of immobilised zebrafish larvae, and related behaviour to previously published retinal photoreceptor densities. We measured tuning to steradian stimulus size and spatial frequency, and show it to be independent of visual field position. However, zebrafish react most strongly and consistently to lateral, nearly equatorial stimuli, consistent with previously reported higher spatial densities in the central retina of red, green and blue photoreceptors. Upside-down experiments suggest further extra-retinal processing. Our results demonstrate that motion vision circuits in zebrafish are anisotropic, and preferentially monitor areas with putative behavioural relevance.Author summaryThe visual system of larval zebrafish mirrors many features present in the visual system of other vertebrates, including its ability to mediate optomotor and optokinetic behaviour. Although the presence of such behaviours and some of the underlying neural correlates have been firmly established, previous experiments did not consider the large visual field of zebrafish, which covers more than 160° for each eye. Given that different parts of the visual field likely carry unequal amount of behaviourally relevant information for the animal, this raises the question whether optic flow is integrated across the entire visual field or just parts of it, and how this shapes behaviour such as the optokinetic response. We constructed a spherical LED arena to present visual stimuli almost anywhere across their visual field, while tracking horizontal eye movements. By displaying moving gratings on this LED arena, we demonstrate that the optokinetic response, one of the most prominent visually induced behaviours of zebrafish, indeed strongly depends on stimulus location and stimulus size, as well as on other parameters such as the spatial and temporal frequency of the gratings. This location dependence is consistent with areas of high retinal photoreceptor densities, though evidence suggests further extraretinal processing.

scholarly journals Spherical arena reveals optokinetic response tuning to stimulus location, size, and frequency across entire visual field of larval zebrafish

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Alexander Dehmelt ◽  
Rebecca Meier ◽  
Julian Hinz ◽  
Takeshi Yoshimatsu ◽  
Clara A Simacek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Frequency Tuning ◽  
Sample Stimulus ◽  
Visual Fields ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Motion Vision ◽  
Optokinetic Response ◽  
Larval Zebrafish ◽  
Retinal Processing ◽  
Entire Visual Field

Many animals have large visual fields, and sensory circuits may sample those regions of visual space most relevant to behaviours such as gaze stabilisation and hunting. Despite this, relatively small displays are often used in vision neuroscience. To sample stimulus locations across most of the visual field, we built a spherical stimulus arena with 14,848 independently controllable LEDs. We measured the optokinetic response gain of immobilised zebrafish larvae to stimuli of different steradian size and visual field locations. We find that the two eyes are less yoked than previously thought and that spatial frequency tuning is similar across visual field positions. However, zebrafish react most strongly to lateral, nearly equatorial stimuli, consistent with previously reported spatial densities of red, green and blue photoreceptors. Upside-down experiments suggest further extra-retinal processing. Our results demonstrate that motion vision circuits in zebrafish are anisotropic, and preferentially monitor areas with putative behavioural relevance.

Audio-Visual Space in an Era of Technological Convergence

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robynn J. Stilwell
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Television Series ◽  
Visual Texture ◽  
Technological Convergence ◽  
An Inconvenient Truth ◽  
Relationship Of

This article appears in theOxford Handbook of New Audiovisual Aestheticsedited by John Richardson, Claudia Gorbman, and Carol Vernallis. While the commercial and sociological aspects of technological convergence have been discussed among scholars, producers, and consumers, this chapter explores the aesthetics of convergence and how the technological/historical/aesthetic conventions of distinctly different media can be used as “meta” gestures. Two multimedia products focusing on the same complex topic-climate change-are used to illustrate how audiovisual space is configured differently in “theatrical” and “cinematic” modes and how those spaces can create a higher level rhythm and texture. The film documentaryAn Inconvenient Truthalternates rhetorical theatrical and affective cinematic spaces. The three-part television seriesClimate Warsis markedly more complex and contrapuntal, “theatricalizing” the audience-screen relationship of cinema and deploying a dense, layered visual texture. The soundscape and visual field organize information from relatively straightforward, reinforcing “harmony"; to a counterpoint commenting on earlier documentaries; to streams of information that can overwhelm comprehension, creating affective “bursts” akin to musical stings.

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