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Visuomotor reconstruction of visual space
P Fattori1, I Tiacci, P P Battaglini
1Istituto di Fisiologia umana, Università di Bologna.
Bollettino Della Societa Italiana Di Biologia Sperimentale
|February 1, 1993
Summary
This study reveals that our internal representation of visual space is distorted, with the lower visual field appearing larger than the upper. This spatial map also degrades over time, impacting accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Human Perception
- Spatial Cognition
Background:
- The brain maintains an internal representation of visual space to navigate and interact with the environment.
- Understanding the characteristics of this spatial map is crucial for explaining perceptual distortions and memory decay.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the characteristics of the internal representation of visual space in healthy human subjects.
- To determine how factors like delay and target visibility influence spatial accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Healthy subjects were instructed to point to previously indicated spatial locations after visual targets disappeared.
- Experiments varied the delay between target disappearance and pointing, and the duration the target was visible.
Main Results:
- The internal spatial map is distorted, with the lower visual hemifield being overestimated compared to the upper hemifield.
- Spatial accuracy deteriorates over time, and precision is dependent on the visual target's observation duration.
Conclusions:
- The internal representation of visual space is not veridical but systematically distorted.
- Temporal factors significantly impact the fidelity and accuracy of this internal spatial map.