Full Report Uncovers Correctly Identified but Incorrectly Positioned Target Information under Visual Crowding

Current models attribute visual crowding to feature pooling, limited attentional resolution, and flanker substitution that compromise the identity of the target flanked by additional objects. An untested hypothesis is that the flankers may sometimes only disturb the target's perceived position,...

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Main Authors: Gong-Liang Zhang, Jun-Yun Zhang, Lei Liu, Cong Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2011-05-01
Series:i-Perception
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1068/ic350
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author Gong-Liang Zhang
Jun-Yun Zhang
Lei Liu
Cong Yu
author_facet Gong-Liang Zhang
Jun-Yun Zhang
Lei Liu
Cong Yu
author_sort Gong-Liang Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Current models attribute visual crowding to feature pooling, limited attentional resolution, and flanker substitution that compromise the identity of the target flanked by additional objects. An untested hypothesis is that the flankers may sometimes only disturb the target's perceived position, not its identity, which also causes report errors. To test this hypothesis, observers were asked to report either the central target of a three-letter string (partial report), or all letters (full report), in alternating blocks of trials. In full report, the rate of reporting the central target to the central position was comparable to that in partial report. Importantly, there was also a significant rate of reporting the correct target identity but at a wrong flanker position, supporting our hypothesis. Error analyses indicated that target-flanker position swapping and misalignment underlay observed target misplacement. In addition, target misplacement was only significant in radial, but not tangential, stimulus orientations, and could be observed at both short and long durations. Our results thus suggest a new and previously unknown crowding mechanism that interferes with the perceived position of a correctly identified target. The new mechanism, along with previously revealed ones that impair target identity, provides a more comprehensive account of visual crowding.
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spelling doaj.art-3539f1d88f9440ae9e704e5d94da31cb2022-12-21T20:17:21ZengSAGE Publishingi-Perception2041-66952011-05-01210.1068/ic35010.1068_ic350Full Report Uncovers Correctly Identified but Incorrectly Positioned Target Information under Visual CrowdingGong-Liang Zhang0Jun-Yun Zhang1Lei Liu2Cong Yu3State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Optometry, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USAState Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaCurrent models attribute visual crowding to feature pooling, limited attentional resolution, and flanker substitution that compromise the identity of the target flanked by additional objects. An untested hypothesis is that the flankers may sometimes only disturb the target's perceived position, not its identity, which also causes report errors. To test this hypothesis, observers were asked to report either the central target of a three-letter string (partial report), or all letters (full report), in alternating blocks of trials. In full report, the rate of reporting the central target to the central position was comparable to that in partial report. Importantly, there was also a significant rate of reporting the correct target identity but at a wrong flanker position, supporting our hypothesis. Error analyses indicated that target-flanker position swapping and misalignment underlay observed target misplacement. In addition, target misplacement was only significant in radial, but not tangential, stimulus orientations, and could be observed at both short and long durations. Our results thus suggest a new and previously unknown crowding mechanism that interferes with the perceived position of a correctly identified target. The new mechanism, along with previously revealed ones that impair target identity, provides a more comprehensive account of visual crowding.https://doi.org/10.1068/ic350
spellingShingle Gong-Liang Zhang
Jun-Yun Zhang
Lei Liu
Cong Yu
Full Report Uncovers Correctly Identified but Incorrectly Positioned Target Information under Visual Crowding
i-Perception
title Full Report Uncovers Correctly Identified but Incorrectly Positioned Target Information under Visual Crowding
title_full Full Report Uncovers Correctly Identified but Incorrectly Positioned Target Information under Visual Crowding
title_fullStr Full Report Uncovers Correctly Identified but Incorrectly Positioned Target Information under Visual Crowding
title_full_unstemmed Full Report Uncovers Correctly Identified but Incorrectly Positioned Target Information under Visual Crowding
title_short Full Report Uncovers Correctly Identified but Incorrectly Positioned Target Information under Visual Crowding
title_sort full report uncovers correctly identified but incorrectly positioned target information under visual crowding
url https://doi.org/10.1068/ic350
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