Cyclopean discrimination thresholds for the direction and speed of motion in depth. 1996

C V Portfors-Yeomans, and D Regan
Department of Biology, York University, Ontario, Canada.

We measured just-noticeable differences in the direction and speed of motion in depth of cyclopean and monocularly visible targets. Our stimulus set comprised different combinations of (d phi/dt)/(d delta/ dt), d delta/dt, d phi/dt and delta delta, where d phi/dt was the angular frontal plane speed of the binocularly-fused target, d delta/dt was its rate of change of disparity and delta delta was its disparity displacement. Our three subjects based their direction discriminations entirely on the task-relevant variable (d phi/dt)/(d delta/dt), and based their speed discriminations entirely on the task-relevant variable d delta/dt. They ignored all task-irrelevant variables in both tasks. Performance on both tasks was the same for motion within the horizontal and vertical meridians. Direction discrimination threshold rose significantly as the reference direction grew more oblique with respect to a line passing midway between the eyes and perpendicular to the frontal plane. Performance on the direction discrimination task was significantly better for the noncyclopean than for the cyclopean target, but the difference was not great. For the cyclopean target, the lowest value of the direction discrimination threshold was 0.70 deg (mean of three observers and two meridians). The Weber fraction for discriminating speed was not significantly different for the cyclopean and monocularly visible targets, and did not depend on the direction of motion in depth. The lowest values (mean of three observers and two meridians) were 0.12 (cyclopean) and 0.10 (noncyclopean). Findings did not scale for viewing distance. We propose that the human visual pathway contains: (a) a cyclopean mechanism sensitive to variations in the ratio (d phi/dt)/(d delta/dt) that is comparatively insensitive to both d phi/dt and d delta/dt; and (b) a speed-sensitive cyclopean mechanism that responds to variations in the value of d delta/dt, but is comparatively insensitive to d phi/dt. We also propose that a single speed-sensitive mechanism determines speed discrimination thresholds for both cyclopean and monocularly visible targets.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008954 Models, Biological Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of biological processes or diseases. For disease models in living animals, DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL is available. Biological models include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment. Biological Model,Biological Models,Model, Biological,Models, Biologic,Biologic Model,Biologic Models,Model, Biologic
D009039 Motion Perception The real or apparent movement of objects through the visual field. Movement Perception,Perception, Motion,Perception, Movement
D010364 Pattern Recognition, Visual Mental process to visually perceive a critical number of facts (the pattern), such as characters, shapes, displays, or designs. Recognition, Visual Pattern,Visual Pattern Recognition
D011601 Psychophysics The science dealing with the correlation of the physical characteristics of a stimulus, e.g., frequency or intensity, with the response to the stimulus, in order to assess the psychologic factors involved in the relationship. Psychophysic
D003867 Depth Perception Perception of three-dimensionality. Stereopsis,Stereoscopic Vision,Depth Perceptions,Perception, Depth,Perceptions, Depth,Stereopses,Stereoscopic Visions,Vision, Stereoscopic,Visions, Stereoscopic
D004056 Differential Threshold The smallest difference which can be discriminated between two stimuli or one which is barely above the threshold. Difference Limen,Just-Noticeable Difference,Weber-Fechner Law,Difference Limens,Difference, Just-Noticeable,Differences, Just-Noticeable,Differential Thresholds,Just Noticeable Difference,Just-Noticeable Differences,Law, Weber-Fechner,Limen, Difference,Limens, Difference,Threshold, Differential,Thresholds, Differential,Weber Fechner Law
D004192 Discrimination, Psychological Differential response to different stimuli. Discrimination, Psychology,Psychological Discrimination
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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