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Crowding, visual awareness, and their respective neural loci
Kilho Shin1, Susana T L Chung2, Bosco S Tjan3
1Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USAgiro.shin@gmail.com.
Journal of Vision
|May 27, 2017
Summary
Crowding in peripheral vision depends on how flanker awareness is suppressed. The study suggests crowding
Area of Science:
- Visual Neuroscience
- Perception Psychology
Background:
- Object identification in peripheral vision is impaired by flanking objects, a phenomenon known as crowding.
- The neural basis of crowding remains unknown, and its dependence on awareness of flankers is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural origin of crowding by examining its relationship with flanker awareness.
- To determine if crowding is contingent on subjective awareness of flanking stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Crowding was assessed using gratings and letters as stimuli.
- Flanker awareness was suppressed using two methods: interocular suppression (IOS) and adaptation-induced blindness (AIB).
Main Results:
- Crowding magnitude increased with physical flankers under IOS, irrespective of reported awareness.
- Under AIB, crowding magnitude correlated with perceived flankers.
- Findings indicate awareness's role in crowding depends on the suppression method.
Conclusions:
- The neural locus of crowding appears to be upstream of IOS and near or downstream of AIB.
- Results suggest crowding originates at an early cortical visual processing stage, potentially V1 or V2.
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