Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Viewing behavior: ocular and attentional disengagement

W J Tam1, L B Stelmach

  • 1Communications Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Perception & Psychophysics
|August 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

Shortest saccadic latencies occurred when a foveal stimulus was extinguished before target onset, regardless of attention. This suggests ocular disengagement plays a key role in saccadic eye movements.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Apparent motion of monocular stimuli in different depth planes with lateral head movements.

Vision research·2007
Same author

Monovision: a review of the scientific literature.

Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry·2001
Same author

Location of the egocenter in kinesthetic space.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2001
Same author

Unequal weighting of monocular inputs in binocular combination: implications for the compression of stereoscopic imagery.

Journal of experimental psychology. Applied·2001
Same author

Control' of reflexive and voluntary saccades in the gap effect.

Perception & psychophysics·1999
Same author

Wheatstone-Panum limiting case: occlusion, camouflage, and vergence-induced disparity cues.

Perception & psychophysics·1999

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Saccadic latencies are influenced by both visual attention and eye movement systems.
  • Understanding the interplay between ocular and attentional systems is crucial for explaining saccadic behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the distinct and combined roles of ocular and attentional systems in modulating saccadic latencies.
  • To determine whether attentional or ocular disengagement is the primary factor influencing saccadic reaction times.

Main Methods:

  • Five experiments were conducted involving participants making saccades to a target stimulus.
  • Participants directed attention to either a foveal or eccentric stimulus before target onset.
  • These stimuli could be extinguished prior to the target's appearance to manipulate attentional and ocular demands.

Main Results:

  • Saccadic latencies were significantly shorter when the foveal stimulus was extinguished, irrespective of attention.
  • Control experiments confirmed participants' ability to attend and ruled out stimulus-off warning as the sole explanation.
  • Results indicated that the timing of ocular disengagement was a critical determinant of saccadic latency.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support an explanation emphasizing ocular disengagement over attentional disengagement or a joint mechanism.
  • Ocular disengagement appears to be a more dominant factor in determining saccadic latencies in this paradigm.
  • This research provides insight into the neural mechanisms underlying rapid eye movements and visual attention.

Related Experiment Videos