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Updated: Aug 13, 2026
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Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
Mislocalization of perceived saccade target position induced by perisaccadic visual stimulation
1Psychological Institute II, Westfalian Wilhelms-University, 48149 Muenster, Germany.
Summary
Perisaccadic mislocalizations of flashed objects are altered when the saccade target is also perceived. Spatial compression between target and flash suggests relative spatial encoding, not egocentric localization.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Perisaccadic mislocalization, distortions in object perception during eye movements (saccades), varies with experimental conditions.
- Previous studies focused on absolute perceived positions in egocentric space.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how flashing an object during a saccade affects the perceived location of the saccade target.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms of perisaccadic spatial compression.
Main Methods:
- Participants localized flashed objects and saccade targets under varying conditions (darkness, light, fixation).
- Measurements of perceived positions were analyzed relative to egocentric space and relative to the saccade target.
Main Results:
- The perceived location of the saccade target is distorted when an object is flashed perisaccadically, directed towards the flash.
- This relative compression between target and flash is consistent across different lighting conditions and during fixation.
- When object localization is referenced to the perceived target location, spatial compression patterns become similar across conditions.
Conclusions:
- Perisaccadic spatial compression may rely on the encoding of relative spatial relationships between objects.
- This challenges the notion that perisaccadic distortions are solely based on egocentric spatial localization.
