1
|
Spence C, Di Stefano N. What, if anything, can be considered an amodal sensory dimension? Psychon Bull Rev 2024:10.3758/s13423-023-02447-3. [PMID: 38381301 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02447-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The term 'amodal' is a key topic in several different research fields across experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience, including in the areas of developmental and perception science. However, despite being regularly used in the literature, the term means something different to the researchers working in the different contexts. Many developmental scientists conceive of the term as referring to those perceptual qualities, such as, for example, the size and shape of an object, that can be picked up by multiple senses (e.g., vision and touch potentially providing information relevant to the same physical stimulus/property). However, the amodal label is also widely used in the case of those qualities that are not directly sensory, such as, for example, numerosity, rhythm, synchrony, etc. Cognitive neuroscientists, by contrast, tend to use the term amodal to refer to those central cognitive processes and brain areas that do not appear to be preferentially responsive to a particular sensory modality or to those symbolic or formal representations that essentially lack any modality and that are assumed to play a role in the higher processing of sensory information. Finally, perception scientists sometimes refer to the phenomenon of 'amodal completion', referring to the spontaneous completion of perceptual information that is missing when occluded objects are presented to observers. In this paper, we review the various different ways in which the term 'amodal' has been used in the literature and the evidence supporting the various uses of the term. Morever, we highlight some of the various properties that have been suggested to be 'amodal' over the years. Then, we try to address some of the questions that arise from the reviewed evidence, such as: Do different uses of the 'term' refer to different domains, for example, sensory information, perceptual processes, or perceptual representations? Are there any commonalities among the different uses of the term? To what extent is research on cross-modal associations (or correspondences) related to, or can shed light on, amodality? And how is the notion of amodal related to multisensory integration? Based on the reviewed evidence, it is argued that there is, as yet, no convincing empirical evidence to support the claim that amodal sensory qualities exist. We thus suggest that use of the term amodal would be more meaningful with respect to abstract cognition rather than necessarily sensory perception, the latter being more adequately explained/understood in terms of highly redundant cross-modal correspondences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles Spence
- Department of Experimental Psychology, New Radcliffe House, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6BW, UK.
- Crossmodal Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Nicola Di Stefano
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Peters B, DiCarlo JJ, Gureckis T, Haefner R, Isik L, Tenenbaum J, Konkle T, Naselaris T, Stachenfeld K, Tavares Z, Tsao D, Yildirim I, Kriegeskorte N. How does the primate brain combine generative and discriminative computations in vision? ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2401.06005v1. [PMID: 38259351 PMCID: PMC10802669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Vision is widely understood as an inference problem. However, two contrasting conceptions of the inference process have each been influential in research on biological vision as well as the engineering of machine vision. The first emphasizes bottom-up signal flow, describing vision as a largely feedforward, discriminative inference process that filters and transforms the visual information to remove irrelevant variation and represent behaviorally relevant information in a format suitable for downstream functions of cognition and behavioral control. In this conception, vision is driven by the sensory data, and perception is direct because the processing proceeds from the data to the latent variables of interest. The notion of "inference" in this conception is that of the engineering literature on neural networks, where feedforward convolutional neural networks processing images are said to perform inference. The alternative conception is that of vision as an inference process in Helmholtz's sense, where the sensory evidence is evaluated in the context of a generative model of the causal processes that give rise to it. In this conception, vision inverts a generative model through an interrogation of the sensory evidence in a process often thought to involve top-down predictions of sensory data to evaluate the likelihood of alternative hypotheses. The authors include scientists rooted in roughly equal numbers in each of the conceptions and motivated to overcome what might be a false dichotomy between them and engage the other perspective in the realm of theory and experiment. The primate brain employs an unknown algorithm that may combine the advantages of both conceptions. We explain and clarify the terminology, review the key empirical evidence, and propose an empirical research program that transcends the dichotomy and sets the stage for revealing the mysterious hybrid algorithm of primate vision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Peters
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Glasgow
| | - James J DiCarlo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT
- NSF Center for Brains, Minds and Machines, MIT
- Quest for Intelligence, Schwarzman College of Computing, MIT
| | | | - Ralf Haefner
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester
- Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester
| | - Leyla Isik
- Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University
| | - Joshua Tenenbaum
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT
- NSF Center for Brains, Minds and Machines, MIT
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT
| | - Talia Konkle
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University
- Kempner Institute for Natural and Artificial Intelligence, Harvard University
| | | | | | - Zenna Tavares
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University
| | - Doris Tsao
- Dept of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
| | - Ilker Yildirim
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University
| | - Nikolaus Kriegeskorte
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li B, Zhang C, Cao L, Chen P, Liu T, Gao H, Wang L, Yan B, Tong L. Brain Functional Representation of Highly Occluded Object Recognition. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1387. [PMID: 37891756 PMCID: PMC10605645 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recognizing highly occluded objects is believed to arise from the interaction between the brain's vision and cognition-controlling areas, although supporting neuroimaging data are currently limited. To explore the neural mechanism during this activity, we conducted an occlusion object recognition experiment using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). During magnet resonance examinations, 66 subjects engaged in object recognition tasks with three different occlusion degrees. Generalized linear model (GLM) analysis showed that the activation degree of the occipital lobe (inferior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, and occipital fusiform gyrus) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) was related to the occlusion degree of the objects. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) further unearthed a considerable surge in classification precision when dACC activation was incorporated as a feature. This suggested the combined role of dACC and the occipital lobe in occluded object recognition tasks. Moreover, psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis disclosed that functional connectivity (FC) between the dACC and the occipital lobe was enhanced with increased occlusion, highlighting the necessity of FC between these two brain regions in effectively identifying exceedingly occluded objects. In conclusion, these findings contribute to understanding the neural mechanisms of highly occluded object recognition, augmenting our appreciation of how the brain manages incomplete visual data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Li Tong
- Henan Key Laboratory of Imaging and Intelligent Processing, PLA Strategic Support Force Information Engineering University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; (B.L.); (C.Z.); (T.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Peterson MA, Campbell ES. Backward masking implicates cortico-cortical recurrent processes in convex figure context effects and cortico-thalamic recurrent processes in resolving figure-ground ambiguity. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1243405. [PMID: 37809293 PMCID: PMC10552270 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1243405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previous experiments purportedly showed that image-based factors like convexity were sufficient for figure assignment. Recently, however, we found that the probability of perceiving a figure on the convex side of a central border was only slightly higher than chance for two-region displays and increased with the number of display regions; this increase was observed only when the concave regions were homogeneously colored. These convex figure context effects (CEs) revealed that figure assignment in these classic displays entails more than a response to local convexity. A Bayesian observer replicated the convex figure CEs using both a convexity object prior and a new, homogeneous background prior and made the novel prediction that the classic displays in which both the convex and concave regions were homogeneous were ambiguous during perceptual organization. Methods Here, we report three experiments investigating the proposed ambiguity and examining how the convex figure CEs unfold over time with an emphasis on whether they entail recurrent processing. Displays were shown for 100 ms followed by pattern masks after ISIs of 0, 50, or 100 ms. The masking conditions were designed to add noise to recurrent processing and therefore to delay the outcome of processes in which they play a role. In Exp. 1, participants viewed two- and eight-region displays with homogeneous convex regions (homo-convex displays; the putatively ambiguous displays). In Exp. 2, participants viewed putatively unambiguous hetero-convex displays. In Exp. 3, displays and masks were presented to different eyes, thereby delaying mask interference in the thalamus for up to 100 ms. Results and discussion The results of Exps. 1 and 2 are consistent with the interpretation that recurrent processing is involved in generating the convex figure CEs and resolving the ambiguity of homo-convex displays. The results of Exp. 3 suggested that corticofugal recurrent processing is involved in resolving the ambiguity of homo-convex displays and that cortico-cortical recurrent processes play a role in generating convex figure CEs and these two types of recurrent processes operate in parallel. Our results add to evidence that perceptual organization evolves dynamically and reveal that stimuli that seem unambiguous can be ambiguous during perceptual organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary A. Peterson
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Elizabeth Salvagio Campbell
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- College of Medicine Tucson, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Xu Y. Global object shape representations in the primate brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:210-211. [PMID: 36635178 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yaoda Xu
- Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Agostino CS, Merkel C, Ball F, Vavra P, Hinrichs H, Noesselt T. Seeing and extrapolating motion trajectories share common informative activation patterns in primary visual cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:1389-1406. [PMID: 36288211 PMCID: PMC9921241 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The natural environment is dynamic and moving objects become constantly occluded, engaging the brain in a challenging completion process to estimate where and when the object might reappear. Although motion extrapolation is critical in daily life-imagine crossing the street while an approaching car is occluded by a larger standing vehicle-its neural underpinnings are still not well understood. While the engagement of low-level visual cortex during dynamic occlusion has been postulated, most of the previous group-level fMRI-studies failed to find evidence for an involvement of low-level visual areas during occlusion. In this fMRI-study, we therefore used individually defined retinotopic maps and multivariate pattern analysis to characterize the neural basis of visible and occluded changes in motion direction in humans. To this end, participants learned velocity-direction change pairings (slow motion-upwards; fast motion-downwards or vice versa) during a training phase without occlusion and judged the change in stimulus direction, based on its velocity, during a following test phase with occlusion. We find that occluded motion direction can be predicted from the activity patterns during visible motion within low-level visual areas, supporting the notion of a mental representation of motion trajectory in these regions during occlusion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camila Silveira Agostino
- Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,European Structural and Investment Funds-International Graduate School (ESF-GS) Analysis, Imaging, and Modeling of Neuronal and Inflammatory Processes (ABINEP) International Graduate School, Otto-Von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Merkel
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Felix Ball
- Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Centre for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Vavra
- Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hermann Hinrichs
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Centre for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Behavioural Neurology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Toemme Noesselt
- Department of Biological Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Centre for Behavioural Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Men H, Altin A, Schütz AC. Underestimation of the number of hidden objects. J Vis 2023; 23:1. [PMID: 36723930 PMCID: PMC9904329 DOI: 10.1167/jov.23.2.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The perceptual representation of our environment does not only involve what we actually can see, but also inferences about what is hidden from our sight. For example, in amodal completion, simple contours or surfaces are filled-in behind occluding objects allowing for a complete representation. This is important for many everyday tasks, such as visual search, foraging, and object handling. Although there is support for completion of simple patterns from behavioral and neurophysiological studies, it is unclear if these mechanisms extend to complex, irregular patterns. Here, we show that the number of hidden objects on partially occluded surfaces is underestimated. Observers did not consider accurately the number of visible objects and the proportion of occlusion to infer the number of hidden objects, although these quantities were perceived accurately and reliably. However, visible objects were not simply ignored: estimations of hidden objects increased when the visible objects formed a line across the occluder and decreased when the visible objects formed a line outside of the occluder. Confidence ratings for numerosity estimation were similar for fully visible and partially occluded surfaces. These results suggest that perceptual inferences about what is hidden in our environment can be very inaccurate und underestimate the complexity of the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Men
- Allgemeine und Biologische Psychologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,
| | - Anna Altin
- Allgemeine und Biologische Psychologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,
| | - Alexander C. Schütz
- Allgemeine und Biologische Psychologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany,Center for Mind, Brain and Behaviour, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany,https://www.uni-marburg.de/en/fb04/team-schuetz/team/alexander-schutz
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rampone G, Adam M, Makin ADJ, Tyson-Carr J, Bertamini M. Electrophysiological evidence of the amodal representation of symmetry in extrastriate areas. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1180. [PMID: 35064121 PMCID: PMC8783022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04501-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Extrastriate visual areas are strongly activated by image symmetry. Less is known about symmetry representation at object-level rather than image-level. Here we investigated electrophysiological responses to symmetry, generated by amodal completion of partially-occluded polygon shapes. We used a similar paradigm in four experiments (N = 112). A fully-visible abstract shape (either symmetric or asymmetric) was presented for 250 ms (t0). A large rectangle covered it entirely for 250 ms (t1) and then moved to one side to reveal one half of the shape hidden behind (t2, 1000 ms). Note that at t2 no symmetry could be extracted from retinal image information. In half of the trials the shape was the same as previously presented, in the other trials it was replaced by a novel shape. Participants matched shapes similarity (Exp. 1 and Exp. 2), or their colour (Exp. 3) or the orientation of a triangle superimposed to the shapes (Exp. 4). The fully-visible shapes (t0-t1) elicited automatic symmetry-specific ERP responses in all experiments. Importantly, there was an exposure-dependent symmetry-response to the occluded shapes that were recognised as previously seen (t2). Exp. 2 and Exp.4 confirmed this second ERP (t2) did not reflect a reinforcement of a residual carry-over response from t0. We conclude that the extrastriate symmetry-network can achieve amodal representation of symmetry from occluded objects that have been previously experienced as wholes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Rampone
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Liverpool, L697ZA, UK. .,School of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Liverpool, L7 7DL, UK.
| | - Martyna Adam
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Liverpool, L697ZA, UK
| | - Alexis D J Makin
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Liverpool, L697ZA, UK
| | - John Tyson-Carr
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Liverpool, L697ZA, UK
| | - Marco Bertamini
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Liverpool, L697ZA, UK.,Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 8, 35131, Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Caplovitz GP. On the Spatiotemporal Nature of Vision, as Revealed by Covered Bridges and Puddles: A Dispatch from Vermont. Iperception 2022; 12:20416695211062625. [PMID: 35035871 PMCID: PMC8753077 DOI: 10.1177/20416695211062625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal painting, anorthoscopic perception and amodal completion are terms to describe
visual phenomena that highlight the spatiotemporal integrative mechanisms that underlie
primate vision. Although commonly studied using simplified lab-friendly stimuli presented
on a computer screen, this is a report of observations made in a novel real-world context
that highlight the rich contributions the mechanisms underlying these phenomena make to
naturalistic vision.
Collapse
|
10
|
Peters B, Kriegeskorte N. Capturing the objects of vision with neural networks. Nat Hum Behav 2021; 5:1127-1144. [PMID: 34545237 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01194-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Human visual perception carves a scene at its physical joints, decomposing the world into objects, which are selectively attended, tracked and predicted as we engage our surroundings. Object representations emancipate perception from the sensory input, enabling us to keep in mind that which is out of sight and to use perceptual content as a basis for action and symbolic cognition. Human behavioural studies have documented how object representations emerge through grouping, amodal completion, proto-objects and object files. By contrast, deep neural network models of visual object recognition remain largely tethered to sensory input, despite achieving human-level performance at labelling objects. Here, we review related work in both fields and examine how these fields can help each other. The cognitive literature provides a starting point for the development of new experimental tasks that reveal mechanisms of human object perception and serve as benchmarks driving the development of deep neural network models that will put the object into object recognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Peters
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Nikolaus Kriegeskorte
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rampone G, Makin ADJ, Tyson-Carr J, Bertamini M. Spinning objects and partial occlusion: Smart neural responses to symmetry. Vision Res 2021; 188:1-9. [PMID: 34271291 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2021.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In humans, extrastriate visual areas are strongly activated by symmetry. However, perfect symmetry is rare in natural visual images. Recent findings showed that when parts of a symmetric shape are presented at different points in time the process relies on a perceptual memory buffer. Does this temporal integration need a retinotopic reference frame? For the first time we tested integration of parts both in the temporal and spatial domain, using a non-retinotopic frame of reference. In Experiment 1, an irregular polygonal shape (either symmetric or asymmetric) was partly occluded by a rectangle for 500 ms (T1). The rectangle moved to the opposite side to reveal the other half of the shape, whilst occluding the previously visible half (T2). The reference frame for the object was static: the two parts stimulated retinotopically corresponding receptive fields (revealed over time). A symmetry-specific ERP response from ~300 ms after T2 was observed. In Experiment 2 dynamic occlusion was combined with an additional step at T2: the new half-shape and occluder were rotated by 90°. Therefore, there was a moving frame of reference and the retinal correspondence between the two parts was disrupted. A weaker but significant symmetry-specific response was recorded. This result extends previous findings: global symmetry representation can be achieved in extrastriate areas non-retinotopically, through integration in both temporal and spatial domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Rampone
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, L697ZA Liverpool, UK.
| | - Alexis D J Makin
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, L697ZA Liverpool, UK
| | - John Tyson-Carr
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, L697ZA Liverpool, UK
| | - Marco Bertamini
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, L697ZA Liverpool, UK; Department of General Psychology, Via Venezia, 8 - 35131, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ekroll V, Svalebjørg M, Pirrone A, Böhm G, Jentschke S, van Lier R, Wagemans J, Høye A. The illusion of absence: how a common feature of magic shows can explain a class of road accidents. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2021; 6:22. [PMID: 33763762 PMCID: PMC7991007 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-021-00287-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of the present note is to draw attention to the potential role of a recently discovered visual illusion in creating traffic accidents. The illusion consists in a compelling and immediate experience that the space behind an occluding object in the foreground is empty. Although the illusion refers to a region of space, which is invisible due to occlusion (a blind spot), there is evidence to suggest that it is nevertheless driven by visual mechanisms and that it can be just as deceptive and powerful as ordinary visual illusions. We suggest that this novel illusion can make situations involving blind spots in a road user's field of view even more dangerous than one would expect based on the lack of visibility by itself. This could be because it erroneously makes the road user feel that (s)he has actually seen everything there is to see, and thus has verified that the blind spot is empty. This hypothesis requires further testing before definitive conclusions can be drawn, but we wish to make researchers and authorities involved in the analysis of traffic accidents and on-the-spot crash investigations aware of its potential role in order to encourage registration of relevant data and facilitate further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vebjørn Ekroll
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Postboks 7807, 5020, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Mats Svalebjørg
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Postboks 7807, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Angelo Pirrone
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Postboks 7807, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Gisela Böhm
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Postboks 7807, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sebastian Jentschke
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Postboks 7807, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Rob van Lier
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan Wagemans
- Department of Brain & Cognition, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alena Høye
- Department of Safety and Security, Institute of Transport Economics, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Knotts JD, Michel M, Odegaard B. Defending subjective inflation: an inference to the best explanation. Neurosci Conscious 2020; 2020:niaa025. [PMID: 33343930 PMCID: PMC7734437 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In a recent opinion piece, Abid (2019) criticizes the hypothesis that subjective inflation may partly account for apparent phenomenological richness across the visual field and outside the focus of attention. In response, we address three main issues. First, we maintain that inflation should be interpreted as an intraperceptual-and not post-perceptual-phenomenon. Second, we describe how inflation may differ from filling-in. Finally, we contend that, in general, there is sufficient evidence to tip the scales toward intraperceptual interpretations of visibility and confidence judgments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J D Knotts
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 502 Portola Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Matthias Michel
- Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE, UK
- Consciousness, Cognition & Computation Group, Centre for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 50 avenue F.D. Roosevelt CP191 B–1050, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Brian Odegaard
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr. P.O. Box 112250 Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Amodal completion (AC) is analyzed, by looking at its historical roots and persisting conceptual difficulties. Looking at the origin of the concept, it becomes clear that it is not equivalent to perception of occluded parts. The role of fragment incompleteness is discussed, to clarify that it cannot be taken as a necessary factor for eliciting AC. The standard view of AC, depicted as a set of processes that extrapolate from veridically represented image fragments, is evaluated and rejected on the basis of evidence that AC modifies also modal parts. The theoretical importance of AC phenomena and their potential to reveal the inner forces of perceptual organization are emphasized, with specific reference to the minimum principle. Instances in which AC might be expected but does not occur are examined, to define the limits of such an integrative process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Walter Gerbino
- Department of Life Sciences, Psychology Unit Gaetano Kanizsa, University of Trieste, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
van Lier R. A Conceptual Playground Between Perception and Cognition: Introduction to the Special Issue on Amodal Completion. Iperception 2020; 11:2041669520939108. [PMID: 32685127 PMCID: PMC7343371 DOI: 10.1177/2041669520939108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rob van Lier
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Svalebjørg M, Øhrn H, Ekroll V. The Illusion of Absence in Magic Tricks. Iperception 2020; 11:2041669520928383. [PMID: 32676178 PMCID: PMC7339904 DOI: 10.1177/2041669520928383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, a curious illusion of absence has been described, where the space behind an occluder is compellingly experienced as empty. This illusion is similar to illusions based on amodal completion in the sense that it refers to occluded portions of a visual scene and informal observations suggest that it may also be largely impervious to conscious knowledge. The aim of the present experiment was to test the hypothesis that the illusion of absence is cognitively impenetrable in the same way as amodal completion. Participants viewed magic tricks based on amodal completion, the illusion of absence, or attentional and reasoning misdirection and tried to infer the secret behind the tricks after one, two, or three presentations. The results show that the tricks based on the illusion of absence are very difficult to debunk, even after repeated presentations. In this regard, they are similar to tricks based on amodal completion but different from tricks based on attentional and reasoning misdirection. The participants also rated how magical they felt the tricks were. Surprisingly, the magic ratings tended to be quite high even in trials where the participants had already discovered the secret behind the trick. This unexpected finding may be taken to suggest that there may be two magical moments in the lifetime of a magic trick: In addition to the magical experience evoked by trick itself, discovering the secret behind the trick may also evoke an experience of impossibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Heidi Øhrn
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of
Bergen
| | - Vebjørn Ekroll
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of
Bergen
| |
Collapse
|