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Saccade-confounded image statistics explain visual crowding

Nature Neuroscience volume 15, pages 463–469 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Processing of shape information in human peripheral visual fields is impeded beyond what can be expected by poor spatial resolution. Visual crowding, the inability to identify objects in clutter, has been shown to be the primary factor limiting shape perception in peripheral vision. Despite the well-documented effects of crowding, its underlying causes remain poorly understood. Given that spatial attention both facilitates learning of image statistics and directs saccadic eye movements, we propose that the acquisition of image statistics in peripheral visual fields is confounded by eye-movement artifacts. Specifically, the image statistics acquired under a peripherally deployed spotlight of attention are systematically biased by saccade-induced image displacements. These erroneously represented image statistics lead to inappropriate contextual interactions in the periphery and cause crowding.

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Figure 1: Characteristics of crowding in peripheral vision.
Figure 2: The interaction of spatial attention and saccades.
Figure 3: Spatial consequences of isotropic lateral interaction zone in V1.
Figure 4: Pair-wise image statistics.
Figure 5: Zones of inappropriate integration.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank I. Biederman, A. Disney, J. Hirsch, M. Jadi, R. Millin and J. Reynolds for helpful comments on the manuscript. This research was supported by US National Institutes of Health grant EY017707 (B.S.T.).

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Author notes

  1. Anirvan S Nandy

    Present address: Present address: Systems and Computational Neurobiology Laboratories, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, USA.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Anirvan S Nandy & Bosco S Tjan

  2. Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Bosco S Tjan

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  1. Anirvan S Nandy
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Contributions

A.S.N. and B.S.T. developed the theory, designed the experiments and collected the data. A.S.N. analyzed the data and ran the model simulations. A.S.N. and B.S.T. wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Anirvan S Nandy or Bosco S Tjan.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Supplementary Figures 1–5, Supplementary Table 1 and Supplementary Note (PDF 6792 kb)

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Nandy, A., Tjan, B. Saccade-confounded image statistics explain visual crowding. Nat Neurosci 15, 463–469 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3021

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