Can Contrast-Response Functions Indicate Visual Processing Levels?
Many visual effects are believed to be processed at several functional and anatomical levels of cortical processing. Determining if and how the levels contribute differentially to these effects is a leading problem in visual perception and visual neuroscience. We review and analyze a combination of...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Vision |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2411-5150/2/1/14 |
| _version_ | 1818136015725920256 |
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| author | Bruno G. Breitmeyer Srimant P. Tripathy James M. Brown |
| author_facet | Bruno G. Breitmeyer Srimant P. Tripathy James M. Brown |
| author_sort | Bruno G. Breitmeyer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many visual effects are believed to be processed at several functional and anatomical levels of cortical processing. Determining if and how the levels contribute differentially to these effects is a leading problem in visual perception and visual neuroscience. We review and analyze a combination of extant psychophysical findings in the context of neurophysiological and brain-imaging results. Specifically using findings relating to visual illusions, crowding, and masking as exemplary cases, we develop a theoretical rationale for showing how relative levels of cortical processing contributing to these effects can already be deduced from the psychophysically determined functions relating respectively the illusory, crowding and masking strengths to the contrast of the illusion inducers, of the flankers producing the crowding, and of the mask. The wider implications of this rationale show how it can help to settle or clarify theoretical and interpretive inconsistencies and how it can further psychophysical, brain-recording and brain-imaging research geared to explore the relative functional and cortical levels at which conscious and unconscious processing of visual information occur. Our approach also allows us to make some specific predictions for future studies, whose results will provide empirical tests of its validity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:33:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f53c4bbf7d2b4f6fb0dc398cb490e0bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2411-5150 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T09:33:41Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vision |
| spelling | doaj.art-f53c4bbf7d2b4f6fb0dc398cb490e0bb2022-12-22T01:12:57ZengMDPI AGVision2411-51502018-03-01211410.3390/vision2010014vision2010014Can Contrast-Response Functions Indicate Visual Processing Levels?Bruno G. Breitmeyer0Srimant P. Tripathy1James M. Brown2Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USASchool of Optometry & Visual Science, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UKDepartment of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USAMany visual effects are believed to be processed at several functional and anatomical levels of cortical processing. Determining if and how the levels contribute differentially to these effects is a leading problem in visual perception and visual neuroscience. We review and analyze a combination of extant psychophysical findings in the context of neurophysiological and brain-imaging results. Specifically using findings relating to visual illusions, crowding, and masking as exemplary cases, we develop a theoretical rationale for showing how relative levels of cortical processing contributing to these effects can already be deduced from the psychophysically determined functions relating respectively the illusory, crowding and masking strengths to the contrast of the illusion inducers, of the flankers producing the crowding, and of the mask. The wider implications of this rationale show how it can help to settle or clarify theoretical and interpretive inconsistencies and how it can further psychophysical, brain-recording and brain-imaging research geared to explore the relative functional and cortical levels at which conscious and unconscious processing of visual information occur. Our approach also allows us to make some specific predictions for future studies, whose results will provide empirical tests of its validity.http://www.mdpi.com/2411-5150/2/1/14contrast response functionscortical processing levelvisual illusionvisual crowdingpedestal maskinglateral maskingfeature integration |
| spellingShingle | Bruno G. Breitmeyer Srimant P. Tripathy James M. Brown Can Contrast-Response Functions Indicate Visual Processing Levels? Vision contrast response functions cortical processing level visual illusion visual crowding pedestal masking lateral masking feature integration |
| title | Can Contrast-Response Functions Indicate Visual Processing Levels? |
| title_full | Can Contrast-Response Functions Indicate Visual Processing Levels? |
| title_fullStr | Can Contrast-Response Functions Indicate Visual Processing Levels? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can Contrast-Response Functions Indicate Visual Processing Levels? |
| title_short | Can Contrast-Response Functions Indicate Visual Processing Levels? |
| title_sort | can contrast response functions indicate visual processing levels |
| topic | contrast response functions cortical processing level visual illusion visual crowding pedestal masking lateral masking feature integration |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2411-5150/2/1/14 |
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