Scale selection for second-order (non-linear) stereopsis

In addition to the conventional luminance spatial frequency-dependent, disparity processing mode, there is a second-order luminance spatial frequency-independent type of processing available to the stereoscopic system. Here we use gaussian-enveloped, amplitude-modulated grating patches to determine how the stereoscopic system responds to the presence of two sources of second-order disparity information at different scales when there is no disparity information available via the conventional luminance-based system. In the first experiment we show that the stereoscopic system uses the disparity signal provided by the stimulus envelope, even though it is at a coarser scale than that provided by the amplitude modulation (AM). We then demonstrate that if the stimulus envelope is degraded via blurring, or if it is fixed at zero disparity, then performance depends on the finer-scale AM disparity signal. To show that the stereoscopic system uses the disparity signal provided by the AM we extend the carrier grating outside the borders of the AM stimulus, thereby making the boundary of the patch less discernible. Results obtained using this stimulus suggest that when two sources of second-order disparity information are present within the same stimulus (i.e., with no reliable luminance-based disparity signal available), the disparity signal provided by the coarser-scale contrast envelope vetos the finer-scale disparity signal. The coarse-scale disparity information dominates as long at it provides an adequate disparity signal. When it is degraded, however, the finer-scale signal takes precedence.