title: Transducer model produces facilitation from opposite-sign flanks.
abstract: Small spots, lines and Gabor patterns can be easier to detect when they are superimposed upon similar spots, lines and Gabor patterns. Traditionally, such facilitation has been understood to be a consequence of nonlinear contrast transduction. Facilitation has also been reported to arise from non-overlapping patterns with opposite sign. We point out that this result does not preclude the traditional explanation for superimposed targets. Moreover, we find that facilitation from opposite-sign flanks is weaker than facilitation from same-sign flanks. Simulations with a transducer model produce opposite-sign facilitation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK. j.solomon@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010470:Perceptual Masking / Q000502:physiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity