A mathematical model of saccadic reaction time as a function of the fixation point brightness gain.

The gap effect refers to a reduction in saccadic reaction time (SRT) to an eccentric target, when the fixation point is removed before the target onset. Though it is known that the gap effect peaks when the fixation point is offset about 200 ms before the onset of the eccentric target, it is unknown how this effect is modulated by stimulus variations. In this paper, we propose and investigate a model of saccadic reaction time as a function of the fixation point brightness gain. The brightness gain is defined as the ratio of the final and initial intensities of the stimulus. We have conducted a typical gap effect experiment with 15 participants, where the brightness of the fixation point was manipulated under four conditions and two gap intervals, at the same time and 200 ms before the onset of the eccentric target. The conditions included removing the fixation point (offset), leaving it with constant brightness (overlap), reducing, and increasing its brightness (lower and higher brightness conditions). Experimental data showed a significant gap effect in the offset and lower brightness conditions when compared to the overlap condition. On the other hand, the SRT was significantly longer for the higher brightness condition than the SRT for the overlap condition. Linear regression analysis using ten values of brightness gain shows that our model fits the data well for the 0- and 200-ms gap, with a coefficient of determination of .89 and .94, respectively.

Space and motion perception and discomfort in air travel.

INTRODUCTION: The perception of comfort during air trips is determined by several factors. External factors like cabin design and environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, air pressure, noise, and vibration) interact with individual characteristics (anxiety traits, fear of flying, and personality) from arrival at the airport to landing at the destination. In this study, we investigated the influence of space and motion discomfort (SMD), fear of heights, and anxiety on comfort perception during all phases of air travel. METHODS: We evaluated 51 frequent air travelers through a modified version of the Flight Anxiety Situations Questionnaire (FAS), in which new items were added and where the subjects were asked to report their level of discomfort or anxiety (not fear) for each phase of air travel (Chronbach's alpha = 0.974). Correlations were investigated among these scales: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Cohen's Acrophobia Questionnaire, and the Situational Characteristics Questionnaire (SitQ, designed to estimate SMD levels). RESULTS: Scores of SitQ correlated with discomfort in situations involving space and movement perception (Pearson's rho = 0.311), while discomfort was associated with cognitive mechanisms related to scores in the anxiety scales (Pearson's rho = 0.375). Anxiety traits were important determinants of comfort perception before and after flight, while the influence of SMD was more significant during the time spent in the aircraft cabin. DISCUSSION: SMD seems to be an important modulator of comfort perception in air travel. Its influence on physical well being and probably on cognitive performance, with possible effects on flight safety, deserves further investigation.

Effects of acute alcohol intoxication on visuospatial attention.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on the spatial distribution of visual attention measured with simple reaction times (RTs) to targets presented over an extended region of the visual field. Control (n=10) and alcohol groups (n=14) were tested with the same protocol. Participants were tested in two different conditions; in Experiment I, participants were instructed to direct their visual attention to the centre, while in Experiment II they were asked to orient their attention covertly to both right and left, but not to the centre. Throughout participants were required to fixate a small cross in the centre of the computer screen. In the alcohol group, participants received an alcohol dose of 0.4 g/kg so as to produce a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in the range of 0.08% during the experiments. The spatial distribution of RTs was analysed graphically with geostatistical methods and statistically through analysis of variance of particular regions of the visual field. Results showed that controls were able to direct their attention tightly towards the centre (Expt I) and also to divide attention (Expt II) to the right and left. Participants in the alcohol group fixed their attention more diffusely in the centre (Expt I) and were unable to disengage attention from the centre in Experiment II. We conclude that acute alcohol intoxication impairs the ability to dissociate attention from gaze.

Inhibition or facilitation of return: Does chromatic component count?

Inhibitory effects have been reported when a target is preceded by a cue of the same color and location. Color-based inhibition was found using red and blue nonisoluminant stimuli (Law et al., 1995). Here we investigate whether this phenomenon depends on the chromatic subsystem involved by employing isoluminant colors varying along either the violet-yellow or purple-turquoise cardinal axis. Experiment 1 replicated Law et al.'s study: After fixating magenta, either a red or blue cue was presented, followed by a magenta "neutral attractor," and, finally, by a red or blue target. In Experiment 2, violet and yellow, cue or target, varied along a tritan confusion line in the CIE 1976 chromaticity diagram. In Experiment 3, purple and turquoise, cue or target, varied along a deutan confusion line in the CIE 1976 chromaticity diagram. Normal trichromats (n = 19) participated in all three experiments. In Experiment 1, color repetition indeed resulted in longer reaction times (RTs) (4.7 ms, P = 0.038). In Experiment 2, however, no significant color repetition effect was found; RTs to violet and yellow were not significantly different, though tending toward slower responses (2 ms) for violet repetition but faster (5 ms) for yellow. Experiment 3 also showed no color repetition effect (P = 0.58); notably, RTs were overall faster for purple than for turquoise (22 ms, P 0.05), but faster for turquoise (7 ms, P > 0.05). These findings demonstrate that color repetition is not always inhibitory but may turn facilitatory depending on the colors employed. The results indicate that disengagement of attention is an unlikely mechanism to be the sole explanation of previously reported color-based inhibition of return. We suggest a complementary, perceptual explanation: response (dis)advantage depends on whether the stimuli are isoluminant and on the opponent chromatic subsystem involved. The choice of the colors employed and the cue-attractor-target constellation also may be of significance.

Flag errors in soccer games: the flash-lag effect brought to real life.

In soccer games, an attacking player is said to be in an offside position if he or she is closer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last defender. It is an offence for the attacker to be in an offside position and in active play at the moment a fellow team member plays the ball. Assistant referees often make mistakes when judging an offside offence, probably because of optical errors arising from the viewing angle adopted by them (Oudejans, Verheijen, Bakker, Gerrits, Steinbrückner, Beek, 2000 Nature 404 33). Looking more closely at Oudejans et al's data, we show evidence that the flash-lag effect may contribute significantly to these mistakes. Participation of the flash-lag effect in assistant referees' misjudgments would take this perceptual phenomenon from laboratory setups to a real-life situation for the first time.