Contrast polarity, chromaticity, and stereoscopic depth modulate contextual interactions in vernier acuity.

Vernier alignment thresholds are strongly compromised when the vernier is embedded in an array of equal-length flanking lines. Here, we show that these contextual interactions can be diminished by giving the flanks the opposite contrast polarity, e.g., white flanks surrounding a black vernier. Similar results are obtained for red verniers and equiluminant green flanks and when vernier and flanks have different binocular disparity. Using special flank configurations, we can eliminate location uncertainty as an important factor for this kind of contextual interactions. We interpret these results as evidence that perceptual grouping of the vernier and the flanks plays an important role in the vernier threshold elevation caused by contextual flanks.

[1]  H. Wilson,et al.  Lateral interactions in peripherally viewed texture arrays. , 1997, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision.

[2]  J. Lund,et al.  Compulsory averaging of crowded orientation signals in human vision , 2001, Nature Neuroscience.

[3]  G. Westheimer.  The ON–OFF dichotomy in visual processing: From receptors to perception , 2007, Progress in Retinal and Eye Research.

[4]  Gerald Westheimer,et al.  Temporal and spatial interference with vernier acuity , 1975, Vision Research.

[5]  G. Caputo,et al.  The Role of the Background: Texture Segregation and Figure—Ground Segmentation , 1996, Vision Research.

[6]  Michael Bach,et al.  The Freiburg Stereoacuity Test: automatic measurement of stereo threshold , 2001, Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.

[7]  Zhaoping Li.  A saliency map in primary visual cortex , 2002, Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

[8]  S. Klein,et al.  Vernier acuity, crowding and cortical magnification , 1985, Vision Research.

[9]  Zhaoping Li.  V1 mechanisms and some figure-ground and border effects. , 2003, Journal of physiology, Paris.

[10]  D. Levi,et al.  The effect of similarity and duration on spatial interaction in peripheral vision. , 1994, Spatial vision.

[11]  G. Francis,et al.  What is the strength of a mask in visual metacontrast masking? , 2007, Journal of vision.

[12]  M. Bach.  The Freiburg Visual Acuity test--automatic measurement of visual acuity. , 1996, Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry.

[13]  L. Zhaoping,et al.  V1 mechanisms and some figure–ground and border effects , 2003, Journal of Physiology-Paris.

[14]  Rolf Nelson,et al.  When does grouping happen? , 2003, Acta psychologica.

[15]  D. Surmeier,et al.  Grouping of image fragments in primary visual cortex , 2022 .

[16]  Z Li,et al.  Contextual influences in V1 as a basis for pop out and asymmetry in visual search. , 1999, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[17]  Gerald Westheimer,et al.  Grouping of contextual elements that affect vernier thresholds. , 2007, Journal of vision.

[18]  Johan Wagemans,et al.  Crowding with conjunctions of simple features. , 2007, Journal of vision.

[19]  D. Pelli,et al.  Crowding is unlike ordinary masking: distinguishing feature integration from detection. , 2004, Journal of vision.

[20]  D. Hubel,et al.  Receptive fields, binocular interaction and functional architecture in the cat's visual cortex , 1962, The Journal of physiology.

[21]  M. M. Taylor,et al.  PEST: Efficient Estimates on Probability Functions , 1967 .

[22]  G. Westheimer,et al.  Spatial location and hyperacuity: The centre/surround localization contribution function has two substrates , 1985, Vision Research.

[23]  David C Burr,et al.  Feature-based integration of orientation signals in visual search , 2000, Vision Research.

[24]  Wulfram Gerstner,et al.  Modeling spatial and temporal aspects of visual backward masking. , 2008, Psychological review.

[25]  Michael H. Herzog,et al.  Local Interactions in Neural Networks Explain Global Effects in Gestalt Processing and Masking , 2003, Neural Computation.