Articles tagged with Visual Perception
New research from the Monell Chemical Senses Center reveals that pleasant odors enhance women's facial attractiveness, while odor pleasantness has a mixed effect on age perception. The study found that visual age cues influence judgments of facial age, and unpleasant odors weaken this effect.
Scientists found that smelling certain steroids affects people's perception of movement as masculine or feminine, depending on their biological sex and sexual orientation. The study reveals a sexually dimorphic response to pheromones in both heterosexual and homosexual individuals.
Scientists found a 'continuity field' that smooths out object features, allowing us to perceive stability in the real world. This discovery explains why we often miss subtle changes in movies and everyday life.
The study found that monkeys can localize stimuli they do not perceive, similar to humans, who can also locate and side-step objects in their peripheral vision. Monkeys performed tasks accurately when stimuli were unmasked, but still localized targets at masking levels for which they reported no target had been presented.
Movshon's groundbreaking work discovered neurons in the brain that enable global motion perception, revolutionizing our understanding of how we process complex visual scenes. His research has had a lasting impact on the field of visual neuroscience.
Johns Hopkins researchers pinpointed a site in the right parietal lobe that plays a crucial role in recognizing which way is straight up and down. Disruptions to this process can cause spatial disorientation and dizziness, but the study suggests that trans-cranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could be used to treat chronic dizziness.
Researchers found that adapting to a face explored by touch shifts visual face perception, and the effect works both ways. This study challenges traditional views on face processing, suggesting a shared representation between vision and haptics in the brain.
Researchers used continuous flash suppression to render objects invisible and found that hearing the correct word boosted object visibility. Hearing an unmatched word suppressed it. The study suggests a deep connection between language and sensory perception.
Research at Duke University found that gamers excel in extracting information from visual scenes, recalling letters in a flash of light, and tracking multiple items. Gamers' brains appear to be trained for better decision-making with more available information, potentially due to improved visual sensitivity.
Research by Sophie Wuerger found that colour perception remains largely unchanged over the years, despite age-related losses in the optical media. The study revealed that certain neural pathways compensate for these losses, allowing colour functions to remain constant across time.
A study by Professor Jocelyn Faubert found that professional athletes, including soccer players and hockey players, performed better on a brain test than non-athlete university students. The researchers used the Neurotracker machine to evaluate skills such as tracking fast-moving objects and perceiving depth.
A study by University of Bristol researchers found that while men made fewer eye movements than women, those they did make were longer and to more varied locations. Women's eyes were drawn to the rest of the bodies, particularly the female figure, in images of heterosexual couples.
Researchers discovered a 'temporal sweet spot' that optimizes perceived brightness of light without increasing power. This finding could lead to significant energy savings by redesigning light-emitting devices to flicker with optimal dynamics.
Researchers have found that abnormal eye movements in amblyopia are caused by changes in the brain's subcortical regions. The study, published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, suggests that these changes may be an attempt to enhance contrast sensitivity in visually impaired eyes.
Researchers found that reducing perceptual interference can improve object perception in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early-stage Alzheimer's disease. The study suggests that minimizing visual clutter could help MCI patients with everyday tasks, such as recognizing familiar faces and objects.
A new study from Georgia Tech and the University of Toronto found that reducing visual clutter can improve object perception in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. The researchers tested MCI patients on identifying identical pairings, finding that interspersing similar objects with dissimilar ones reduced interference.
A Northwestern University study reveals that our brains make complex decisions for us without our knowledge or consent. Researchers found that even when people are aware of the trick, their brains still rely on visual information to guide hand movements.
Researchers at Duke University discovered that strobe eyewear training enhances visual short-term memory by disrupting vision and forcing participants to adjust their processing. The effects of improved visual memory retention were observed even after removing the eyewear, lasting up to 24 hours.
Researchers found that our brains use valence perception to guide decision-making, influencing our choices and behavior. The study's findings can be used to improve consumer marketing decisions and increase user engagement on online platforms.
A study from Purdue University found that golfers who see the hole as bigger tend to putt more successfully. The researchers used an optical illusion to manipulate the size of the hole and correlated it with scores.
Researchers found that high-contrast bingo cards enhance thinking and playing skills for individuals with cognitive difficulties and visual perception problems caused by dementia. Boosting contrast also enables people with dementia to move safely around their homes and improve eating habits.
Researchers found that brain activity and visual perception of local and global motion differ significantly. Humans rely on a second mechanism for global motion, while neuronal activity is controlled by local motion in the stimulus.
Researchers discovered evidence of visual ambiguity and rivalry in an unrecognized reference frame, challenging the understanding of how our brains process visual information. The study found that object-frame rivalry is a competing process to spatial rivalry, with similar brain regions and processes involved.
Researchers found that nude bodies are processed more efficiently by the brain than clothed bodies, even at an early stage of visual processing. This effect is strongest for pictures of nude female bodies, and may play a role in reproduction.
A study from Tufts University found that social status cues can alter the perception of race, revealing a complex process influenced by context and pre-existing stereotypes. The researchers used computer simulations to demonstrate how subtle effects of status cues emerge in a system similar to the human brain.
Research reveals that specific fibre tracts in the corpus callosum are linked to individual differences in perceived visual motion. The connection affects how people perceive horizontal and vertical motion, with some individuals better at integrating information from both hemispheres.
New research reveals that human beings can visually detect living presence through specific movement cues, including those close to the ground and mimicking real gravitational acceleration. The visual system is keyed into these cues to determine a moving object's life-detection.
Researchers found that age-related changes in attention and Gestalt perception hinder older adults' ability to focus on global patterns. The study provides evidence of correlations between healthy aging and declines in visual perception, offering insights into cognitive domains interacting during aging.
Researchers found that holding a memory of a visual event can 'contaminate' visual perception, leading to exaggerated misperceptions. The study used a visual illusion to demonstrate this effect, showing participants reported more dramatic changes in motion direction than actually existed.
A recent study found that infants can perceive flicker or movement but struggle to identify individual elements within a moving scene. This suggests that babies have a slower visual processing speed than adults, with a limit of around half a second.
Researchers can now study neuronal activity in deepest layers of the cortex, gaining insights into decision-making and object perception. The technique enables measurement of spatiotemporal organization of activity in these deep layers.
Researchers investigated biological motion perception in a new study, finding that local motion cues are essential for direction discrimination. The visual system uses these cues to infer global structure and detect living beings, independent of shape or size.
Neurobiologists have found that the fly brain requires only two distinct motion detectors to recognize movement, shedding light on the complexity of visual processing in both humans and insects. This discovery has implications for our own understanding of how we perceive motion.
A study by MIT neuroscientists found that humans have two independent capacities for working memory, rather than one general capacity of four objects. This discovery resolves a long-standing debate in the field and has significant implications for designing more effective cognitive therapy, brain games, and visual displays.
A study by Marlene Behrmann and colleagues identifies a network of cortical areas working together to identify faces, changing the future of neural visual perception research. The discovery allows scientists to develop targeted remedies for disorders such as face blindness.
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet discover that the size of one's own body affects perceived space around us. They create illusions of tiny and giant bodies to demonstrate this effect.
A study by Henrik Hagtvedt found that incomplete typeface logos can create interest and spark innovation perception, but also lead to unclear communication and untrustworthiness. The results suggest that firms should avoid such logos when trust is critical, but may be effective for promotion-focused consumers.
Scientists at Ruhr-University Bochum find that passive stimulation can induce lasting changes in human behavior and perception, opening new perspectives for intervention and treatment of visual perceptual disorders. Visual perception is impaired after slow stimulation but improved with rapid stimulation.
A study published in Journal of Vision found that pigeons recognize human faces and emotional expressions in a way similar to humans. The researchers suggest that both specialized and general processes are involved in face recognition, contradicting previous assumptions about uniquely human cognitive processes.
Researchers found that autistic brains concentrate more activity in temporal and occipital regions, which are involved in pattern recognition and object perception. This enables them to perform well in visual tasks that require reasoning and decision-making.
Researchers found that training improves subjective perception of stimuli, leading to conscious sight. The brain regions involved in learning effects differ from those for automatic stimulus processing, suggesting two distinct neural pathways.
Researchers found that prior information enables faster recognition and reduces the delay between visual impression and conscious perception. The study suggests that the brain processes stimuli flexibly, accelerating conscious awareness when expectations align.
Adults with insecure attachment styles may have difficulties regulating emotions, leading to increased risk for mental health problems. Cultural differences in the endowment effect suggest that independence and self-enhancement values influence giving up possessions.
A recent study published in PLoS ONE explains that no pitcher can make a curveball break or a fastball rise, as it appears to be an illusion. The researchers argue that batters perceive the ball as breaking due to their eyes' natural tendency to follow motion and shift between central and peripheral vision.
Researchers at Concordia University found that avatar-creators tend to create avatars that resemble their own personalities, with physical characteristics like hair length and clothing style providing clues about the creator's traits. This correlation has implications for companies looking to reach both virtual and real-world audiences.
A brain fitness program has been shown to improve visual memory in older adults by up to 10%, leading to increased accuracy and a link to changes in neural activity. This study's findings suggest that focused training can lead to plasticity in the brain, improving cognitive function in aging populations.
Researchers found that hearing the name of an object improves participants' ability to see it, even when flashed onscreen in conditions that render it invisible. The effect was specific to language and did not depend on visual preview or pre-experiment familiarity with the target.
Movshon and Stanford's William T. Newsome receive award for their decades-long research on how the brain reconstructs images to support perception, linking perception to specific neural activity
A novel research project combines art and neuroscience to explore the connections between visual perception and the brain. Researchers are discovering that artists have intuitive knowledge of neuroscience concepts, including optical illusions.
Researchers found that the primary visual cortex responds smaller when images are predictable, indicating an active prediction process. This challenges the classical view of passive cascades in visual perception.
Researchers found that the conscious mind kicks in about 300-400 milliseconds after exposure to a stimulus, with complexity affecting timing. The study aims to map unconscious perception and its role in understanding consciousness.
A driving simulation test involving 67 people with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease and 51 healthy individuals found that those with Parkinson's were more likely to crash in foggy conditions. Their reaction time was also longer, averaging 2.7 seconds compared to 2.1 seconds for healthy drivers.
Studies at the Salk Institute found that attention reduces background activity, increasing neural signal fidelity by a factor of up to four times. This reduction in noise accounts for approximately 80% of the improvement in perceptual discrimination when focusing on sensory stimuli.
A study by Kellogg School researchers examines how physical characteristics, particularly 'babyfaced' traits, influence perception and achievement among black CEOs. They found that those with more babyface features were perceived as warmer, more competent, and earned higher salaries and led more prestigious companies.
Researchers found that visual motion influences tactile motion, and vice versa, using a unique tactile stimulator. This discovery suggests overlapping neural circuits for sensory processing.
Researchers found that visual motion affects tactile perception, causing subjects to perceive touch as moving in the opposite direction. Conversely, tactile motion gives rise to visual illusions of motion in the opposite direction.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed a novel ultrasound display that allows doctors to view images within the object being scanned, reducing the need for visualization. This innovation improves accuracy in surgeries guided by ultrasound technology, which relies on combining direct perception and visualization.
Scientists found that boundary extension, a type of false memory, occurs quickly when visual input is disrupted, suggesting the role of amodal perception and spatial perception in scene perception. The study suggests that errors in boundary judgment may be beneficial for understanding the world as a coherent whole.
A Duke University team presents a new way to explain the puzzling flash-lag effect by suggesting that humans accumulate information from retinal speeds to make accurate behavioral choices. The study found that lag time increases non-linearly with object speed, supporting this explanation.
A Rutgers researcher is studying how visual analysis of body movements can help identify potential terrorist threats and improve interactions with autistic individuals. People with few autistic tendencies are found to be better at detecting subtle cues, which could lead to the development of computer programs to train them.