The Importance of High Spatial Frequencies for Exogenous Consciousness. Evidence from the Attentional Blink Paradigm.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mickaël Jean Rémi Perrier ◽  
Louise Kauffmann ◽  
Carole Peyrin ◽  
Nicolas Vermeulen ◽  
Frederic Dutheil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Visual System ◽  
Attentional Blink ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Conscious Perception ◽  
Frequency Content ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Visual Consciousness ◽  
High Pass

We attempted to highlight the respective importance of low spatial frequencies (LSFs) and high spatial frequencies (HSFs) in the emergence of visual consciousness by using an attentional blink paradigm in order to manipulate the conscious report of visual stimuli. Thirty-eight participants were asked to identify and report two targets (happy faces) embedded in a rapid stream of distractors (angry faces). Conscious perception of the second target (T2) usually improved as the lag between the targets increased. The distractors between T1 and T2 were either non-filtered (broad spatial frequencies, BSF), low-pass filtered (LSF), or high-pass filtered (HSF). The spatial frequency content of the distractors resulted in a greater disturbance of T2 reporting in the HSF than in the LSF condition. We argue that this could support the idea of HSF information playing a crucial role in the emergence of exogenous consciousness in the visual system. Other interpretations are also discussed.

The Role of High Spatial Frequencies in Face Perception

Perception ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Fiorentini ◽  
Lamberto Maffei ◽  
Giulio Sandini
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Face Perception ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
High Spatial Frequency ◽  
Face Width ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
High Pass ◽  
Spatial Frequency Domain

The relevance of low and high spatial-frequency information for the recognition of photographs of faces has been investigated by testing recognition of faces that have been either low-pass (LP) or high-pass (HP) filtered in the spatial-frequency domain. The highest resolvable spatial frequency was set at 15 cycles per face width (cycles fw−1). Recognition was much less accurate for images that contained only the low spatial frequencies (up to 5 cycles fw−1) than for images that contained only spatial frequencies higher than 5 cycles fw−1. For faces HP filtered above 8 cycles fw−1, recognition was almost as accurate as for faces LP filtered below 8 cycles fw−1, although the energy content of the latter greatly exceeded that of the former. These findings show that information conveyed by the higher spatial frequencies is not redundant. Rather, it is sufficient by itself to ensure recognition.

scholarly journals Single-Band Amplitude Demodulation of Müller-Lyer Illusion Images

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Sierra-Vázquez ◽  
Ignacio Serrano-Pedraza
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Filtering ◽  
Single Band ◽  
Frequency Content ◽  
Visual Model ◽  
Lyer Illusion ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Ill Posed ◽  
Band Pass ◽  
High Pass

The perception of the Müller-Lyer illusion has previously been explained as a result of visual low band-pass spatial filtering, although, in fact, the illusion persists in band-pass and high-pass filtered images without visible low-spatial frequencies. A new theoretical framework suggests that our perceptual experience about the global spatial structure of an image corresponds to the amplitude modulation (AM) component (or its magnitude, also called envelope) of its AM-FM (alternatively, AM-PM) decomposition. Because demodulation is an ill-posed problem with a non-unique solution, two different AM-FM demodulation algorithms were applied here to estimate the envelope of images of Müller-Lyer illusion: the global and exact Daugman and Downing (1995) AMPM algorithm and the local and quasi-invertible Maragos and Bovik (1995) DESA. The images used in our analysis include the classic configuration of illusion in a variety of spatial and spatial frequency content conditions. In all cases, including those of images for which visual low-pass spatial filtering would be ineffective, the envelope estimated by single-band amplitude demodulation has physical distortions in the direction of perceived illusion. It is not plausible that either algorithm could be implemented by the human visual system. It is shown that the proposed second order visual model of pre-attentive segregation of textures (or “back-pocket” model) could recover the image envelope and, thus, explain the perception of this illusion even in Müller-Lyer images lacking low spatial frequencies.

Temporal and Spatial Frequency Tuning of the Flicker Motion Aftereffect

Perception ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 12-12
Author(s):  
P J Bex ◽  
F A J Verstraten ◽  
I Mareschal
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Frequency Tuning ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Motion Aftereffect ◽  
Sine Wave ◽  
Test Grating ◽  
Spatial Frequency Tuning ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Sine Wave Gratings

The motion aftereffect (MAE) was used to study the temporal-frequency and spatial-frequency selectivity of the visual system at suprathreshold contrasts. Observers adapted to drifting sine-wave gratings of a range of spatial and temporal frequencies. The magnitude of the MAE induced by the adaptation was measured with counterphasing test gratings of a variety of spatial and temporal frequencies. Independently of the spatial or temporal frequency of the adapting grating, the largest MAE was found with slowly counterphasing test gratings (∼0.125 – 0.25 Hz). For slowly counterphasing test gratings (<∼2 Hz), the largest MAEs were found when the test grating was of similar spatial frequency to that of the adapting grating, even at very low spatial frequencies (0.125 cycle deg−1). However, such narrow spatial frequency tuning was lost when the temporal frequency of the test grating was increased. The data suggest that MAEs are dominated by a single, low-pass temporal-frequency mechanism and by a series of band-pass spatial-frequency mechanisms at low temporal frequencies. At higher test temporal frequencies, the loss of spatial-frequency tuning implicates separate mechanisms with broader spatial frequency tuning.

Spatial Integration of Objectively Equiluminous Chromatic Gratings

Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 200-200
Author(s):  
M I Kankaanpää ◽  
J Rovamo ◽  
H T Kukkonen ◽  
J Hallikainen
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Contrast Sensitivity ◽  
Spatial Integration ◽  
Chromatic Contrast ◽  
Shape Difference ◽  
Sensitivity Functions ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Chromatic Aberrations ◽  
Chromatic Contrast Sensitivity

Contrast sensitivity functions for achromatic and chromatic gratings tend to be band-pass and low-pass in shape, respectively. Our aim was to test whether spatial integration contributes to the shape difference found at low spatial frequencies. We measured binocular chromatic contrast sensitivity as a function of grating area for objectively equiluminous red - green and blue - yellow chromatic gratings. Chromatic contrast refers to the Michelson contrast of either of the two chromatic component gratings presented in counterphase against the combined background. Grating area ( A) varied from 1 to 256 square cycles ( Af2) at spatial frequencies ( f) of 0.125 – 4.0 cycles deg−1. We used only horizontal gratings at low and medium spatial frequencies to minimise the transverse and longitudinal chromatic aberrations due to ocular optics. At all spatial frequencies studied, chromatic contrast sensitivity increased with grating area. Ac was found to be constant at low spatial frequencies (0.125 – 0.5 cycles deg−1) but decreased in inverse proportion to increasing spatial frequency at 1 – 4 cycles deg−1. Thus, spatial integration depends similarly on spatial frequency for achromatic (Luntinen et al, 1995 Vision Research35 2339 – 2346) and chromatic gratings, and differences in spatial integration do not contribute to the shape difference of the respective contrast sensitivity functions.

Low Spatial Frequencies Dominate Apparent Motion

Perception ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vilayanur S Ramachandran ◽  
Arthur P Ginsburg ◽  
Stuart M Anstis
Keyword(s):  
Apparent Motion ◽  
Central Figure ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
High Pass

Experiments are reported which have been designed to establish what features of a pair of figures can be used as an input for apparent motion. The display consisted of a central figure, A, which appeared briefly and was followed immediately afterwards by two figures, B and C, which appeared on either side of the original location of A. Figure A can thus move towards either B or C. When A was a low-pass filtered square it moved towards C (a low-pass filtered square that was similar to A but ‘rotated’ by 45°) rather than towards B (a high-pass filtered square identical to A in orientation and size). When A was an unfiltered square it moved towards C (a low-pass filtered square of identical orientation) rather than towards B (a high-pass filtered square of identical orientation). Lastly, when A was a ‘solid’ square it moved towards C (a solid circle) rather than towards B (an outline square). All three experiments suggest that the direction of perceived movement is determined exclusively by low spatial frequencies rather than by similarity of oriented edges, especially when speed of alternation is rapid.

Flicker Masking and Developmental Dyslexia

Perception ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T Smith ◽  
Frances Early ◽  
Sarah C Grogan
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Visual System ◽  
Developmental Dyslexia ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
Cell Activity ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Visual Persistence ◽  
Reading Impairment ◽  
Spatial Frequencies

Recent studies have provided evidence that dyslexic children tend to show longer visual persistence than control children when presented with low-spatial-frequency grating stimuli. The possibility that this phenomenon might reflect an impairment of inhibitory Y-cell activity in the visual system of dyslexics has been investigated. A flicker masking technique was used to mask Y-cell activity selectively in a group of dyslexic boys and a group of age-matched controls. There were no overall differences in reaction times to the offsets of grating patterns of various spatial frequencies between the groups, and no differences between subgroups defined by age, degree of reading impairment, or any other criterion. The results show no evidence of abnormal Y-cell function in developmental dyslexia.

Selective Adaptation to Low Spatial Frequencies Does Not Decrease the Mueller-Lyer Illusion

1994 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 339-347
Author(s):  
Janet D. Larsen ◽  
Beth Anne Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Visual System ◽  
Major Part ◽  
Selective Adaptation ◽  
Sinusoidal Grating ◽  
Square Wave ◽  
Frequency Information ◽  
Lyer Illusion ◽  
Spatial Frequencies

The idea that low spatial-frequency information in the Mueller-Lyer figure accounts for a major part of the illusion was tested in a series of five studies. In Study 1, subjects were selectively adapted to high or low square-wave spatial-frequency gratings with no difference in the magnitude of illusion they experienced. Similarly, adaptation to sinusoidal grating patterns with either high or low spatial frequency had no effect on the magnitude of illusion experienced (Studies 2 to 5). The failure of adaptation to low spatial-frequency gratings to affect the magnitude of illusion experienced indicates either that the illusion cannot be accounted for by the low spatial-frequency information or that adaptation of the visual system by grating patterns cannot be used to explore any effects of the low spatial frequencies in the figure.

A Test of the Spatial-Frequency Explanation of the Müller-Lyer Illusion

Perception ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 553-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Carrasco ◽  
Jesus G Figueroa ◽  
J Douglas Willen
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Visual System ◽  
Human Visual System ◽  
Lyer Illusion ◽  
Lower Spatial Frequency ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Frequency Components ◽  
Fourier Spectra

Previous investigations have shown that the response of spatial-frequency-specific channels in the human visual system is differentially affected by adaptation to gratings of distinct spatial frequencies and/or orientations. A study is reported of the effects of adaptation to vertical or horizontal gratings of a high or a low spatial frequency on the extent of the Brentano form of the Müller-Lyer illusion in human observers. It is shown that the illusion decreases after adaptation to vertical gratings of low spatial frequency, but seems unaffected otherwise. These results are consistent with the notion of visual channels that are spatial-frequency and orientation specific, and support the argument that the Müller-Lyer illusion may be due primarily to lower-spatial-frequency components in the Fourier spectra of the image.

The Role of High Spatial Frequencies in Hemispheric Processing of Categorical and Coordinate Spatial Relations

2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 1576-1582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matia Okubo ◽  
Chikashi Michimata
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
High Spatial Frequency ◽  
Spatial Relation ◽  
Spatial Relations ◽  
Right Visual Field ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Low Pass ◽  
Categorical Task

Right-handed participants performed categorical and coordinate spatial relation tasks on stimuli presented either to the left visual field-right hemisphere (LVF-RH) or to the right visual field-left hemisphere (RVF-LH). The stimuli were either unfiltered or low-pass filtered (i.e., devoid of high spatial frequency content). Consistent with previous studies, the unfiltered condition produced a significant RVF-LH advantage for the categorical task and an LVF-RH advantage for the coordinate task. Low-pass filtering eliminated this Task × Visual Field interaction; thus, the RVF-LH advantage disappeared for the categorical task. The present results suggest that processing of high spatial frequency contributes to the left hemispheric advantage for categorical spatial processing.

Motion Perception in High-Pass Filtered Random-Dot Patterns: Motion Energy, Element-Matching, or Both?

Perception ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 144-144
Author(s):  
A T Smith ◽  
T Ledgeway
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Standard Condition ◽  
Front End ◽  
Motion Energy ◽  
Spatial Frequencies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Random Dot Patterns ◽  
Filter Mechanism ◽  
High Pass ◽  
Energy Element

We have measured perception of the direction of displacement of two-frame random-dot patterns (50% light/dark pixels) that have been spatially high-pass filtered. In the ‘standard’ condition, pairs of high-pass filtered images, identical apart from the displacement, were presented in succession. The displacement could be in either of two opposite directions and the task was to identify the direction. The ‘reverse’ condition was the same except that image contrast was inverted between the two frames. Various element sizes and filter cut-offs were used. Two distinct patterns of results were obtained. For small check sizes, performance alternated cyclically between veridical direction perception and incorrect direction perception (aliasing) as displacement size was increased over a wide range. The period of the cycle was close to one period of the lowest spatial frequency remaining in the image after filtering, ie performance was as would be expected for a grating of that spatial frequency. In the ‘reverse’ condition the cyclical psychometric functions were inverted, ie reversed-phi motion occurred. For large check sizes, and particularly for high filter cut-offs, there was no cyclical alternation of direction perception and reversed phi did not occur in the ‘reverse’ condition. The results suggest that two mechanisms are at play. In most circumstances, detection appears to be based on motion energy since the cyclical alternation is predicted by a consideration of the spatiotemporal energy of the stimulus but not by element-matching theories. But for large elements, particularly when most of the low spatial frequencies have been removed, element-matching takes over. Elements are matched without regard to their contrast polarity. The results are thus inconsistent with the single front-end filter mechanism which Morgan [1992 Nature (London)355 344] has advanced to explain performance in this type of task.

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