Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
Published on: April 16, 2014
Interactions dominate the dynamics of visual cognition
Damian G Stephen1, Daniel Mirman
1University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. damian.stephen@uconn.edu
Abstract:
Many cognitive theories have described behavior as the summation of independent contributions from separate components. Contrasting views have emphasized the importance of multiplicative interactions and emergent structure. We describe a statistical approach to distinguishing additive and multiplicative processes and apply it to the dynamics of eye movements during classic visual cognitive tasks. The results reveal interaction-dominant dynamics in eye movements in each of the three tasks, and that fine-grained eye movements are modulated by task constraints. These findings reveal the interactive nature of cognitive processing and are consistent with theories that view cognition as an emergent property of processes that are broadly distributed over many scales of space and time rather than a componential assembly line.
Related Concept Videos
Visual System
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Vision
Gestalt Principles of Perception
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Cognition and Behavior
Factors Affecting Perception
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...

