Adaptation to vergent and averted eye gaze. 2014

Ben Stiel, and Colin W G Clifford, and Isabelle Mareschal
School of Psychology & Australian Centre of Excellence in Vision Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Previous adaptation studies have revealed the tuning properties of mechanisms coding left-right averted gaze. Here, Experiment 1 used an adaptation procedure to investigate the mechanisms that encode vergent eye gaze. Following prolonged exposure to convergent or divergent gaze, observers were more likely to categorize smaller gaze deviations in the adapted direction as parallel (i.e., nonvergent). We then examined whether adaptation was occurring to the eyes independently (monocular gaze direction) as opposed to the two eyes as a unitary stimulus (binocular gaze direction). In Experiment 2, we interleaved presentations of convergent and divergent adaptors and tested with either congruent (vergent) or incongruent (left-right) stimuli. Similarly, we interleaved presentations of leftward- and rightward-averted adaptors and tested with congruent (left-right) and incongruent (vergent) stimuli. If adaptation were driven solely by monocular gaze direction, congruent and incongruent adaptation would be similar because, at the level of an individual eye, the stimuli are identical. We find considerable adaptation in the incongruent conditions, consistent with adaptation to individual eye directions. However, we also find greater adaptation in congruent conditions, implicating the involvement of mechanisms that encode binocular gaze direction.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D003290 Convergence, Ocular The turning inward of the lines of sight toward each other. Convergences, Ocular,Ocular Convergence,Ocular Convergences
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000221 Adaptation, Ocular The adjustment of the eye to variations in the intensity of light. Light adaptation is the adjustment of the eye when the light threshold is increased; DARK ADAPTATION when the light is greatly reduced. (From Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed) Light Adaptation,Adaptation, Light,Adaptations, Light,Adaptations, Ocular,Light Adaptations,Ocular Adaptation,Ocular Adaptations
D012438 Saccades An abrupt voluntary shift in ocular fixation from one point to another, as occurs in reading. Pursuit, Saccadic,Saccadic Eye Movements,Eye Movement, Saccadic,Eye Movements, Saccadic,Movement, Saccadic Eye,Movements, Saccadic Eye,Pursuits, Saccadic,Saccade,Saccadic Eye Movement,Saccadic Pursuit,Saccadic Pursuits
D014796 Visual Perception The selecting and organizing of visual stimuli based on the individual's past experience. Visual Processing,Perception, Visual,Processing, Visual

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