Some Observations on the Perception of Marroquin Patterns

Perception ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 727-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C Earle

Demonstrations are presented to show that the perception of structure in Marroquin patterns is disrupted if the dots comprising the pattern have opposite contrast polarity, and also if the dots comprising the pattern are separated in stereoscopic depth. It is also demonstrated that the perception of structure in a Marroquin pattern is made possible if the pattern is separated in stereoscopic depth from ‘noise’ dots, where the pattern structure cannot be perceived in either half of the unfused stereogram. In these respects the perception of Marroquin patterns is similar to the perception of Glass patterns. These findings are thus consistent with the proposal that the perception both of Marroquin and of Glass patterns is based on the construction of virtual lines.

Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven C Dakin

The relative contrast of features is known to be important in determining if they can be grouped. Two manipulations of feature contrast have previously been used to criticise models of visual grouping based on spatial filtering: high-pass filtering and reversal of contrast polarity. The effects of these manipulations are considered in the context of the perception of Glass patterns. It is shown that high-pass filtering elements, whilst destroying structure in the output of low-pass filters, do not significantly disrupt the output of locally band-pass filters. The finding that subjects can perceive structure in Glass patterns composed of high-pass features therefore offers no evidence against such spatial filtering mechanisms. Band-pass filtering models are shown to explain the rotation of perceived structure in Glass patterns composed of opposite contrast features. However, structure is correctly perceived in patterns composed of two ‘interleaved’ opposite contrast patterns, which is problematic for oriented filtering mechanisms. Two possible explanations are considered: nonlinear contrast transduction prior to filtering, and integration of local orientation estimates from first-order and second-order mechanisms.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 368-368
Author(s):  
A. Raghunandan ◽  
S. Andrus ◽  
L. Nennig

Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 243-243
Author(s):  
K J Linnell ◽  
G W Humphreys

Gilchrist et al (1997 Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance23 464 – 480) proposed that some aspects of grouping are relatively insensitive to variations in contrast polarity between the elements to be grouped. We assessed the contrast-polarity sensitivity of grouping in a visual search experiment. Display elements were corner-brackets arranged at the vertices of regular polygons (see Donnelly et al, 1991 Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance17 561 – 570), either aligned with polygon sides (strong-grouping condition), rotated through 20° (weak-grouping condition), or rotated through 180° (open condition). The background was grey; on same-contrast-polarity trials, elements were either all white or all black; on opposite-polarity trials, each element was white and black. The task was to detect a target element rotated 180° with respect to the others. With weak grouping present, opposite contrast polarity slowed reaction times dramatically: they were as slow as those to open displays. A second experiment in which display elements were pacmen showed that the contrast-polarity effect on performance is modulated by figure - ground relations: the dramatic effect of contrast polarity in the weak-grouping condition disappeared, presumably because search focused on the uniform grey illusory surface. These results suggest that grouping operates automatically to produce figure - ground coding of displays, but that contrast polarity differences within a figural surface affect the output of these codes to systems concerned with perceptual discriminations.


Perception ◽  
10.1068/p3444 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 669-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Ma-Wyatt ◽  
Colin W G Clifford ◽  
Peter Wenderoth

We investigated whether the same principles that influence grouping in static displays also influence grouping in apparent motion. Using the Ternus display, we found that the proportion of group motion reports was influenced by changes in contrast configuration. Subjects made judgments of completion of these same configurations in a static display. Generally, contrast configurations that induced a high proportion of group motion responses were judged as more ‘complete’ in static displays. Using a stereo display, we then tested whether stereo information and T-junction information were critical for this increase in group motion. Perceived grouping was consistently higher for same contrast polarity configurations than for opposite contrast polarity configurations, regardless of the presence of stereo information or explicit T-junctions. Thus, while grouping in static and moving displays showed a similar dependence on contrast configuration, motion grouping showed little dependence on stereo or T-junction information.


Author(s):  
Andrea Adriano ◽  
Luca Rinaldi ◽  
Luisa Girelli

AbstractThe visual mechanisms underlying approximate numerical representation are still intensely debated because numerosity information is often confounded with continuous sensory cues (e.g., texture density, area, convex hull). However, numerosity is underestimated when a few items are connected by illusory contours (ICs) lines without changing other physical cues, suggesting in turn that numerosity processing may rely on discrete visual input. Yet, in these previous works, ICs were generated by black-on-gray inducers producing an illusory brightness enhancement, which could represent a further continuous sensory confound. To rule out this possibility, we tested participants in a numerical discrimination task in which we manipulated the alignment of 0, 2, or 4 pairs of open/closed inducers and their contrast polarity. In Experiment 1, aligned open inducers had only one polarity (all black or all white) generating ICs lines brighter or darker than the gray background. In Experiment 2, open inducers had always opposite contrast polarity (one black and one white inducer) generating ICs without strong brightness enhancement. In Experiment 3, reverse-contrast inducers were aligned but closed with a line preventing ICs completion. Results showed that underestimation triggered by ICs lines was independent of inducer contrast polarity in both Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, whereas no underestimation was found in Experiment 3. Taken together, these results suggest that mere brightness enhancement is not the primary cause of the numerosity underestimation induced by ICs lines. Rather, a boundary formation mechanism insensitive to contrast polarity may drive the effect, providing further support to the idea that numerosity processing exploits discrete inputs.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Bossi ◽  
Lisa Hamm ◽  
Annegret Dahlmann-Noor ◽  
Steven C. Dakin

AbstractClinicians rely heavily on stereoacuity to measure binocular visual function, but stereo-vision represents only one aspect of binocularity. Lab-based tests of sensory eye dominance (SED) are commonplace, but have not been translated to wider clinical practice. Here we compare several methods of quantifying SED in a format suitable for clinical use. We tested 30 participants with ostensibly normal vision on 8 tests. Seven tests (#1-7) were designed to quantify SED in the form of an interocular balance-point (BP). In tests #1-6, we estimated a contrast-BP, the interocular difference in contrast required for observers to be equally likely to base their judgement on either eye, whereas in test #7 we measured binocular rivalry (interocular ratio of sensory dominance duration). We compare test-retest reliability (intra-observer consistency) and test-validity (inter-observer discriminatory power) and compare BP to stereoacuity (test #8). The test that best preserved inter-observer differences in contrast balance while maintaining good test-retest reliability was a polarity judgement using superimposed opposite-contrast polarity same-identity optotypes. A reliable and valid measure of SED can be obtained rapidly (20 trials) using a simple contrast-polarity judgement. Tests that use polarity-rivalrous stimuli elicit more reliable judgments than those that do not.Significance StatementAlthough sensory eye dominance is central to understanding normal and disordered binocular vision, there is currently no consensus as to the best way to measure it. Here we compare several candidate measures of sensory eye dominance and conclude that a reliable measure of SED can be achieved rapidly using a judgement of stimulus contrast-polarity.


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