Is the increased spatial uncertainty in the normal periphery due to spatial undersampling or uncalibrated disarray?

There are two possible causes for the elevated positional uncertainty of the peripheral field; undersampling by post receptoral arrays or uncalibrated disarray within post receptoral arrays. In order to assess the relative influences of these two factors to peripheral spatial uncertainty, we apply an approach which has enjoyed much success in the field of colour vision to examine the trade-off between position and contrast errors for spatial vision. We show that, if our positional uncertainty in the periphery is due to spatial undersampling, a correlated contrast inaccuracy should be present. We find no evidence for this expected linkage in the peripheral field at any spatial scale. We conclude that uncalibrated neural disarray rather than undersampling is the cause of peripheral positional uncertainty.

[1]  Hugh R. Wilson,et al.  Model of peripheral and amblyopic hyperacuity , 1991, Vision Research.

[2]  R. J. Watt,et al.  Regional distribution of the mechanisms that underlie spatial localization , 1990, Vision Research.

[3]  Robert F. Hess,et al.  Neural recruitment explains “weber's law” of spatial position , 1993, Vision Research.

[4]  S. Klein,et al.  Positional uncertainty in peripheral and amblyopic vision , 1987, Vision Research.

[5]  Laurence T. Maloney,et al.  Assertion : Two Methods for Calibrating a Linear Visual System , 2007 .

[6]  R A Smith,et al.  Aliasing in the parafovea with incoherent light. , 1987, Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics and image science.

[7]  L. N. Thibos,et al.  Vision beyond the resolution limit: Aliasing in the periphery , 1987, Vision Research.

[8]  Stephen J. Anderson,et al.  Post-receptoral undersampling in normal human peripheral vision , 1990, Vision Research.

[9]  Dennis M. Levi,et al.  The role of separation and eccentricity in encoding position , 1990, Vision Research.

[10]  Robert F. Hess,et al.  Vision: The puzzle of amblyopia , 1991 .

[11]  J. Kaas,et al.  Rapid reorganization of cortical maps in adult cats following restricted deafferentation in retina , 1992, Vision Research.

[12]  Dennis M. Levi,et al.  Equivalent intrinsic blur in spatial vision , 1990, Vision Research.

[13]  Alexander Toet,et al.  Visual Perception of Spatial Order , 1987 .

[14]  Michael S. Landy,et al.  Learning Receptor Positions , 1991 .

[15]  D. Field,et al.  Phase reversal discrimination , 1984, Vision Research.

[16]  S. Klein,et al.  Sampling in spatial vision , 1986, Nature.

[17]  M. Banks,et al.  Sensitivity loss in odd-symmetric mechanisms and phase anomalies in peripheral vision , 1987, Nature.

[18]  D. Burr,et al.  Discrimination of spatial phase in central and peripheral vision , 1989, Vision Research.

[19]  Ian E. Holliday,et al.  The coding of spatial position by the human visual system: Effects of spatial scale and contrast , 1992, Vision Research.

[20]  J. Robson,et al.  Probability summation and regional variation in contrast sensitivity across the visual field , 1981, Vision Research.

[21]  R. F. Hess,et al.  The contrast sensitivity gradient across the human visual field: With emphasis on the low spatial frequency range , 1989, Vision Research.

[22]  G. Westheimer.  The spatial grain of the perifoveal visual field , 1982, Vision Research.