Intensity discrimination under forward and backward masking: Role of referential coding

1995 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 1141-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Plack ◽  
Robert P. Carlyon ◽  
Neal F. Viemeister
Keyword(s):  
Intensity Discrimination ◽  
Backward Masking ◽  
Referential Coding

Differential sex effects in olfactory functioning: The role of verbal processing

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 691-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Öberg ◽  
Maria Larsson ◽  
Lars Bäckman
Keyword(s):  
Sex Difference ◽  
Odor Identification ◽  
Intensity Discrimination ◽  
Verbal Processing ◽  
Sex Effects ◽  
Odor Memory ◽  
Sensory Acuity ◽  
Odor Naming ◽  
Odor Sensitivity

AbstractWe investigated sex difference across a number of olfactory tasks. Thirty-six men and 35 women ranging in age from 19 to 36 years were assessed in 6 different tasks: absolute sensitivity for n-butanol, intensity discrimination, quality discrimination, episodic recognition memory for familiar and unfamiliar odors, and odor identification. No sex differences were observed in the tasks tapping primarily sensory acuity (i.e., odor sensitivity, intensity discrimination, and quality discrimination) or in episodic memory for unfamiliar odors. By contrast, women outperformed men in the tasks involving verbal processing (i.e., memory for familiar odors and odor identification). Interestingly, controlling for odor naming ability resulted in that the observed sex difference in episodic odor memory for familiar odors disappeared. This outcome suggests that women's superiority in episodic odor memory is largely mediated by their higher proficiency in odor identification.

scholarly journals Perception of invisible masked objects in early infancy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuke Nakashima ◽  
So Kanazawa ◽  
Masami K. Yamaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Visual Perception ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Early Infancy ◽  
First Year ◽  
Backward Masking ◽  
Recurrent Processing ◽  
First Year Of Life ◽  
Visual Backward Masking

AbstractRecurrent loops in the visual cortex play a critical role in visual perception, which is likely not mediated by purely feedforward pathways. However, the development of recurrent loops is poorly understood. The role of recurrent processing has been studied using visual backward masking, a perceptual phenomenon in which a visual stimulus is rendered invisible by a following mask, possibly because of the disruption of recurrent processing. Anatomical studies have reported that recurrent pathways are immature in early infancy. This raises the possibility that younger infants process visual information mainly in a feedforward manner, and thus, they might be able to perceive visual stimuli that adults cannot see because of backward masking. Here, we show that infants under 7 months of age are immune to visual backward masking and that masked stimuli remain visible to younger infants while older infants cannot perceive them. These results suggest that recurrent processing is immature in infants under 7 months and that they are able to perceive objects even without recurrent processing. Our findings indicate that the algorithm for visual perception drastically changes in the second half of the first year of life.

Peripheral Advantage in Texture Segmentation: The Role of Spatial and Temporal Factors

Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 273-273
Author(s):  
K Morikawa
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Human Perception ◽  
Texture Segmentation ◽  
Neural Processing ◽  
Backward Masking ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
New Type ◽  
Target Performance ◽  
And Performance

Previous studies (eg Kehrer, 1989 Spatial Vision4 45 – 62; Gurnsey et al, 1996 Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance22 738 – 757) have shown that performance peaks several degrees from fixation in texture segmentation tasks, and performance falls as the target texture moves closer to the fovea or further into the periphery. There are two theories for this phenomenon: (1) neural processing speed in the fovea is slower than in the periphery (Kehrer 1989), and (2) the spatial frequency band of the texture is too low (ie too coarse) for the foveal receptive fields (Gurnsey et al 1996). However, the use of backward masking in previous studies made it impossible to decide between the two factors. The purpose of the present study was to isolate them. In experiment 1 a new stimulus configuration with backward masking was used, and previous reports were replicated. In experiment 2, the same texture was presented for 110 ms without a mask, but with added random-dot noise. Without limitations on processing time, the mid-peripheral advantage disappeared, which indicated that the previous findings were due to slower neural processing in the fovea. In experiment 3, a new type of texture was devised consisting of pairs of vertical lines with a horizontal offset. The offset was reversed for the target. Performance for unmasked 110 ms presentation was worst near the fovea and improved monotonically up to 12 deg. This peripheral advantage was spatial, not temporal, because it arose from larger receptive field sizes in periphery. When these results are taken together, the present study demonstrates that there are two independent causes for the mid-peripheral advantage in texture segregation.

scholarly journals The role of temporal integration in backward masking

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 762-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Francis
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Integration ◽  
Backward Masking

scholarly journals The Role of Temporal Transients in Forward and Backward Masking

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1390-1390 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Foley
Keyword(s):  
Backward Masking

To attract or to repel, that is the question (for the visual cortex)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Fornaciai ◽  
Joonkoo Park
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Backward Masking ◽  
Serial Dependence ◽  
Perceptual Adaptation ◽  
Feedback Processing ◽  
Stimulus Representation ◽  
Active Stabilization ◽  
High Level ◽  
Visual Backward Masking

Despite noisy and discontinuous input, vision is remarkably stable and continuous. Recent work suggests that such a remarkable feat is enabled by an active stabilization process that integrates information over time, resulting in attractive serial dependence. However, precise mechanisms underlying serial dependence are still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that suppressing high-level modulatory signal on early cortical activity via visual backward masking completely abolishes the serial dependence effect, indicating the critical role of cortical feedback processing on serial dependence. Moreover, we show that the absence of modulatory feedback results in a robust repulsive aftereffect, as in perceptual adaptation, after only 50 ms of stimulation, indicating the presence of a local neurocomputational process for an automatic and spontaneous recalibration of the stimulus representation. These findings collectively illustrate the interplay between two contrasting cortical computational mechanisms at short timescales that serve as a basis for our perceptual experience.

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