Temporal information can influence spatial localization.
To localize objects relative to ourselves, we need to combine various sensory and motor signals. When these signals change abruptly, as information about eye orientation does during saccades, small differences in latency between the signals could introduce localization errors. We examine whether independent temporal information can influence such errors. We asked participants to follow a randomly jumping dot with their eyes and to point at flashes that occurred near the time they made saccades. Such flashes are mislocalized. We presented a tone at different times relative to the flash. We found that the flash was mislocalized as if it had occurred closer in time to the tone. This demonstrates that temporal information is taken into consideration when combining sensory information streams for localization.
Research Institute MOVE, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University, Van der Boechorststraat 9, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. f.maij@fbw.vu.nl
Femke
F
Maij
Eli
E
Brenner
Jeroen B J
JB
Smeets
D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*