Visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion

Retinal motion can modulate visual sensitivity. For instance, low contrast drifting waveforms (targets) can be easier to detect when abutting the leading edges of movement in adjacent high contrast waveforms (inducers), rather than the trailing edges. This target-inducer interaction is contingent on...

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Main Authors: Arnold, D., Marinovic, Welber, Whitney, D.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50270
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author Arnold, D.
Marinovic, Welber
Whitney, D.
author_facet Arnold, D.
Marinovic, Welber
Whitney, D.
author_sort Arnold, D.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Retinal motion can modulate visual sensitivity. For instance, low contrast drifting waveforms (targets) can be easier to detect when abutting the leading edges of movement in adjacent high contrast waveforms (inducers), rather than the trailing edges. This target-inducer interaction is contingent on the adjacent waveforms being consistent with one another - in-phase as opposed to out-of-phase. It has been suggested that this happens because there is a perceptually explicit predictive signal at leading edges of motion that summates with low contrast physical input - a 'predictive summation'. Another possible explanation is a phase sensitive 'spatial summation', a summation of physical inputs spread across the retina (not predictive signals). This should be non-selective in terms of position - it should be evident at leading, adjacent, and at trailing edges of motion. To tease these possibilities apart, we examined target sensitivity at leading, adjacent, and trailing edges of motion. We also examined target sensitivity adjacent to flicker, and for a stimulus that is less susceptible to spatial summation, as it sums to grey across a small retinal expanse. We found evidence for spatial summation in all but the last condition. Finally, we examined sensitivity to an absence of signal at leading and trailing edges of motion, finding greater sensitivity at leading edges. These results are inconsistent with the existence of a perceptually explicit predictive signal in advance of drifting waveforms. Instead, we suggest that phase-contingent target-inducer modulations of sensitivity are explicable in terms of a directionally modulated spatial summation.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-502702017-09-13T15:41:04Z Visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion Arnold, D. Marinovic, Welber Whitney, D. Retinal motion can modulate visual sensitivity. For instance, low contrast drifting waveforms (targets) can be easier to detect when abutting the leading edges of movement in adjacent high contrast waveforms (inducers), rather than the trailing edges. This target-inducer interaction is contingent on the adjacent waveforms being consistent with one another - in-phase as opposed to out-of-phase. It has been suggested that this happens because there is a perceptually explicit predictive signal at leading edges of motion that summates with low contrast physical input - a 'predictive summation'. Another possible explanation is a phase sensitive 'spatial summation', a summation of physical inputs spread across the retina (not predictive signals). This should be non-selective in terms of position - it should be evident at leading, adjacent, and at trailing edges of motion. To tease these possibilities apart, we examined target sensitivity at leading, adjacent, and trailing edges of motion. We also examined target sensitivity adjacent to flicker, and for a stimulus that is less susceptible to spatial summation, as it sums to grey across a small retinal expanse. We found evidence for spatial summation in all but the last condition. Finally, we examined sensitivity to an absence of signal at leading and trailing edges of motion, finding greater sensitivity at leading edges. These results are inconsistent with the existence of a perceptually explicit predictive signal in advance of drifting waveforms. Instead, we suggest that phase-contingent target-inducer modulations of sensitivity are explicable in terms of a directionally modulated spatial summation. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50270 10.1016/j.visres.2014.03.003 Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd unknown
spellingShingle Arnold, D.
Marinovic, Welber
Whitney, D.
Visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion
title Visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion
title_full Visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion
title_fullStr Visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion
title_full_unstemmed Visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion
title_short Visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion
title_sort visual motion modulates pattern sensitivity ahead, behind, and beside motion
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/50270