Effect of disparity on the perception of motion-defined contours

We present three experiments that explored the effect of binocular disparity on the perception of contours defined by motion in a Spatiotemporal Boundary Formation. Depending on the disparity, the stimulus is perceived as an object that moves behind a holed surface (occluded configuration) or as a luminous transparency that moves over a surface that contains dots (occluding configuration). In all of the experiments, we used a Vernier task to assess the strength of contour perception. In the first experiment, we measured acuity as a function of disparity for a range of speeds and dot densities. The results showed that, despite the difference in the percepts, acuity was similar in both situations, replicating the dependence on speed and dot density demonstrated in previous studies. In the second experiment, the results showed that the dynamics of contour integration were identical for both occluded and occluding configurations. In the third experiment, we tested whether the mechanism of contour integration works independently from the interpretation of the scene. In this experiment, we inverted the disparity during stimulus presentation so that the stimulus switched between occluded and occluding configurations. The results showed that the switch of the depth order increased the threshold to the value obtained with a shorter presentation time. This might be produced by a resetting of the integration process driven by the change of depth order. The results are discussed within a conceptual model that places the process of contour integration in the context of the perception of objects in a Spatiotemporal Boundary Formation.(AU)

Effect of disparity on the perception of motion-defined contours

We present three experiments that explored the effect of binocular disparity on the perception of contours defined by motion in a Spatiotemporal Boundary Formation. Depending on the disparity, the stimulus is perceived as an object that moves behind a holed surface (occluded configuration) or as a luminous transparency that moves over a surface that contains dots (occluding configuration). In all of the experiments, we used a Vernier task to assess the strength of contour perception. In the first experiment, we measured acuity as a function of disparity for a range of speeds and dot densities. The results showed that, despite the difference in the percepts, acuity was similar in both situations, replicating the dependence on speed and dot density demonstrated in previous studies. In the second experiment, the results showed that the dynamics of contour integration were identical for both occluded and occluding configurations. In the third experiment, we tested whether the mechanism of contour integration works independently from the interpretation of the scene. In this experiment, we inverted the disparity during stimulus presentation so that the stimulus switched between occluded and occluding configurations. The results showed that the switch of the depth order increased the threshold to the value obtained with a shorter presentation time. This might be produced by a resetting of the integration process driven by the change of depth order. The results are discussed within a conceptual model that places the process of contour integration in the context of the perception of objects in a Spatiotemporal Boundary Formation...

Non-rigid illusory contours and global shape transformations defined by spatiotemporal boundary formation.

Spatiotemporal boundary formation (SBF) is the perception of form, global motion, and continuous boundaries from relations of discrete changes in local texture elements (Shipley and Kellman, 1994). In two experiments, small, circular elements underwent small displacements whenever an edge of an invisible (virtual) object passed over them. Unlike previous studies that examined only rigidly translating objects, we tested virtual objects whose properties changed continuously. Experiment 1 tested rigid objects that changed in orientation, scale, and velocity. Experiment 2 tested objects that transformed non-rigidly taking on a series of shapes. Robust SBF occurred for all of the rigid transformations tested, as well as for non-rigid virtual objects, producing the perception of continuously bounded, smoothly deforming shapes. These novel illusions involve perhaps the most extreme cases of visual perception of continuous boundaries and shape from minimal information. They show that SBF encompasses a wider range of illusory phenomena than previously understood, and they present substantial challenges for existing models of SBF.