The eye that binds: Feature integration is not disrupted by saccadic eye movements

Josephine Reuther; Ramakrishna Chakravarthi; Amelia R. Hunt

doi:10.3758/s13414-019-01873-7

The eye that binds: Feature integration is not disrupted by saccadic eye movements

Josephine Reuther^* (Corresponding Author), Ramakrishna Chakravarthi, Amelia R. Hunt

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

6 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Feature integration theory proposes that visual features, such as shape and colour, can only be combined into a unified object when spatial attention is directed to their location in retinotopic maps. Eye movements cause dramatic changes on our retinae, and are associated with obligatory shifts in spatial attention. In two experiments, we measured the prevalence of conjunction errors (that is, reporting an object as having an attribute that belonged to another object), for brief stimulus presentation before, during, and after a saccade. Planning and executing a saccade did not itself disrupt feature integration. Motion did disrupt feature integration, leading to an increase in conjunction errors. However, retinal motion of an equal extent but caused by saccadic eye movements is spared this disruption, and showed similar rates of conjunction errors as a condition with static stimuli presented to a static eye. The results suggest extra-retinal signals are able to compensate for the motion caused by saccadic eye movements, thereby preserving the integrity of objects across saccades and preventing their features from mixing or mis-binding.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	533-549
Number of pages	17
Journal	Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
Volume	82
Early online date	5 Dec 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-019-01873-7
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2020

Bibliographical note

Open Access via the Springer Compact Agreement

FundRef James S. McDonnell Foundation

The data for both experiments, as well as a file containing the stimuli of experiment 1 are available at https://osf.io/k49mf/, where experiment 1 was also preregistered.

Acknowledgements: The authors thank Johanna Barclay, Rachel Buhler, Qjan Li, Jesus Rendon, Caitlyn Smith, Alejandro Suarez and Vasilena Voynikova, who collected the data of experiment 2 as part of a group project.

Keywords

attention
eye movements
object recognition

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Reuther_et_al_eye_binds_attention_perception+psychophysics_vor
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Cite this

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title = "The eye that binds: Feature integration is not disrupted by saccadic eye movements",

abstract = "Feature integration theory proposes that visual features, such as shape and colour, can only be combined into a unified object when spatial attention is directed to their location in retinotopic maps. Eye movements cause dramatic changes on our retinae, and are associated with obligatory shifts in spatial attention. In two experiments, we measured the prevalence of conjunction errors (that is, reporting an object as having an attribute that belonged to another object), for brief stimulus presentation before, during, and after a saccade. Planning and executing a saccade did not itself disrupt feature integration. Motion did disrupt feature integration, leading to an increase in conjunction errors. However, retinal motion of an equal extent but caused by saccadic eye movements is spared this disruption, and showed similar rates of conjunction errors as a condition with static stimuli presented to a static eye. The results suggest extra-retinal signals are able to compensate for the motion caused by saccadic eye movements, thereby preserving the integrity of objects across saccades and preventing their features from mixing or mis-binding.",

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note = "Open Access via the Springer Compact Agreement FundRef James S. McDonnell Foundation The data for both experiments, as well as a file containing the stimuli of experiment 1 are available at https://osf.io/k49mf/, where experiment 1 was also preregistered. Acknowledgements: The authors thank Johanna Barclay, Rachel Buhler, Qjan Li, Jesus Rendon, Caitlyn Smith, Alejandro Suarez and Vasilena Voynikova, who collected the data of experiment 2 as part of a group project.",

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N2 - Feature integration theory proposes that visual features, such as shape and colour, can only be combined into a unified object when spatial attention is directed to their location in retinotopic maps. Eye movements cause dramatic changes on our retinae, and are associated with obligatory shifts in spatial attention. In two experiments, we measured the prevalence of conjunction errors (that is, reporting an object as having an attribute that belonged to another object), for brief stimulus presentation before, during, and after a saccade. Planning and executing a saccade did not itself disrupt feature integration. Motion did disrupt feature integration, leading to an increase in conjunction errors. However, retinal motion of an equal extent but caused by saccadic eye movements is spared this disruption, and showed similar rates of conjunction errors as a condition with static stimuli presented to a static eye. The results suggest extra-retinal signals are able to compensate for the motion caused by saccadic eye movements, thereby preserving the integrity of objects across saccades and preventing their features from mixing or mis-binding.

AB - Feature integration theory proposes that visual features, such as shape and colour, can only be combined into a unified object when spatial attention is directed to their location in retinotopic maps. Eye movements cause dramatic changes on our retinae, and are associated with obligatory shifts in spatial attention. In two experiments, we measured the prevalence of conjunction errors (that is, reporting an object as having an attribute that belonged to another object), for brief stimulus presentation before, during, and after a saccade. Planning and executing a saccade did not itself disrupt feature integration. Motion did disrupt feature integration, leading to an increase in conjunction errors. However, retinal motion of an equal extent but caused by saccadic eye movements is spared this disruption, and showed similar rates of conjunction errors as a condition with static stimuli presented to a static eye. The results suggest extra-retinal signals are able to compensate for the motion caused by saccadic eye movements, thereby preserving the integrity of objects across saccades and preventing their features from mixing or mis-binding.

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JO - Attention, Perception & Psychophysics

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ER -

The eye that binds: Feature integration is not disrupted by saccadic eye movements

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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