Visual backward masking and the area-detection relation

Sherrick, Michael F.; Dember, William N.

doi:10.3758/bf03337455

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…From this simplified analysis, one can see that any change in target stimulus parameters that modifies the neural response to the target (e.g., changes in target energy, by varying either its luminance [Weisstein, 1972] or its duration [Schiller, 1965]) will affect the shape of the metacontrast function. Similarly, since the strength of feed forward inhibition is directly related to the strength of the mask stimulus, changes in mask stimulus parameters (energetic or spatial) are also predicted to affect metacontrast (Breitmeyer, 1978b;Di Lollo, Bischof, & Dixon, 1993;Sherrick & Dember, 1970). Finally, several spatial and temporal properties of target recovery (disinhibition) produced when introducing a second mask to the target-mask metacontrast sequence (Breitmeyer, 1978a;Breitmeyer, Rudd, & Dunn, 1981) the inhibitory feedback pathway implementing spatial sharpening.…”

Section: Visual Backward Masking 1579mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent models and findings in visual backward masking: A comparison, review, and update

Breitmeyer

Öğmen

2000

Perception & Psychophysics

468

359

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Visual backward masking not only is an empirically rich and theoretically interesting phenomenon but also has found increasing application as a powerful methodological tool in studies of visual information processing and as a useful instrument for investigating visual function in a variety of specific subject populations. Since the dual-channel, sustained-transient approach to visual masking was introduced about two decades ago, several new models of backward masking and metacontrast have been proposed as alternative approaches to visual masking. In this article, we outline, review, and evaluate three such approaches: an extension of the dual-channel approach as realized in the neural network model of retino-cortical dynamics (Ogmen, 1993), the perceptual retouch theory (Bachmann, 1984(Bachmann, , 1994, and the boundary contour system (Francis, 1997;Grossberg & Mingolla, 1985b). Recent psychophysical and electrophysiological findings relevant to backward masking are reviewed and, whenever possible, are related to the aforementioned models. Besides noting the positive aspects of these models, we also list their problems and suggest changes that may improve them and experiments that can empirically test them.Visual masking occurs whenever the visibility of one stimulus, called the target, is reduced by the presence of another stimulus, designated as the mask. Visual masking has been, and continues to be, a powerful psychophysical tool for investigating the steady-state properties of spatial-processing mechanisms

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Section: Visual Backward Masking 1579mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent models and findings in visual backward masking: A comparison, review, and update

Breitmeyer

Öğmen

2000

Perception & Psychophysics

468

359

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“…Using such a dual-ring mask and a forced-choice indicator response, Sherrick & Dember (1970) tested the hypothesis that homogeneous targets were more susceptible to masking than were targets with internal contours. In that experiment, the internally-contoured targets were black on one side of the diameter and white on the other.…”

Section: Bulletin Of the Psy Chonomicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Masking effectiveness of disks varying in duration and in number of internal segments

Dember

Bryant

Chambers

1975

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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“…Werner's fIndings relied on the phenomenal reports of his subjects; a study was undertaken by Sherrick and Dember (1970) to replicate Werner's results using an objective psychophysical task. As expected, the results demonstrated that a half-black half-white target disk was harder to mask than a homogeneous black disk.…”

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confidence: 99%

The effect of luminance on metacontrast with internally contoured targets

Arand

Dember

1978

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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Recent studies have provided evidence which contradicts the previous finding that target detectability decreases with increases in the number of internal contours in the target. The present study attempted to reconcile these discrepant findings by examining the effect of luminance level on detectability of internally contoured targets under mask and no-mask conditions. The results showed that the different luminance levels used in these studies may have indeed contributed to the discrepant results.Visual perception does not occur instantaneously. When an image of the world strikes the retina of the eye, it activates a series of intricate processes which take time to transform the retinal image into a percept. Normally, an image is completely processed in the time it takes to shift our gaze and fIxate another object. However, in the laboratory it is possible to present two stimuli in such rapid succession that the second stimulus occurs before the fIrst stimulus is completely processed. As a result, the second stimulus (the mask) may decrease the detectability of the first stimulus (the target). This inhibitory effect is generally referred to as backward masking; the term "metacontrast" is used when the fIrst and second stimuli do not spatially overlap.Since its discovery in 1910 by Stigler, backward masking has provided a means for "stopping" the visual image at various points during processing in order to delineate the various stages of processing as well as to study the variables which affect those stages. In particular, many vision researchers have used metacontrast as a device to help reveal the operation of visual inhibitory processes.Of particular interest to the present study is the work of Dember and his co-workers, who have been engaged in a series of experiments stemming from Werner's pioneering work dealing with the effect of confIgurational variables on metacontrast. In his classic experiment, Werner (1935) employed a target disk followed by a surrounding black ring and reported that target disks containing internal contours were harder to mask than a homogeneous black disk.Werner's fIndings relied on the phenomenal reports of his subjects; a study was undertaken by Sherrick and Dember (1970) to replicate Werner's results using an objective psychophysical task. As expected, the results demonstrated that a half-black half-white target disk was harder to mask than a homogeneous black disk. In an Requests for reprints should be sent to William N. Dember,

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Visual backward masking and the area-detection relation

Cited by 10 publications

References 9 publications

Recent models and findings in visual backward masking: A comparison, review, and update

Recent models and findings in visual backward masking: A comparison, review, and update

Masking effectiveness of disks varying in duration and in number of internal segments

The effect of luminance on metacontrast with internally contoured targets

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