title: Peripheral sensitivity to biological motion conveyed by first and second-order signals.
abstract: There is evidence that human observers are more sensitive to the direction-of-heading of point-light walkers defined by first-order than second-order motions. We addressed this question by measuring the minimum direction difference (azimuth) that observers could discriminate when the dots composing the walkers were conveyed by first or second-order motions. Sensitivity to azimuth differences for four stimulus types (two first-order and two second-order) was tested at a range of stimulus sizes and at eccentricities of 0-16 degrees in the right visual field. We find that for most stimulus types and eccentricities any azimuth threshold can be obtained by an appropriate adjustment of stimulus size. To achieve a given azimuth threshold second-order stimuli must be larger than the corresponding first-order stimuli. Therefore, stimulus magnification equates sensitivity to walker direction and we may say that sensitivity to walker direction is generally cue-independent. Similarly, in most cases stimulus magnification is sufficient to eliminate eccentricity dependent variability from the azimuth thresholds. Interestingly, the magnification required match peripheral to foveal thresholds increases faster with eccentricity for first-order stimuli than for second-order stimuli, while at the same time thresholds for first-order stimuli are lower than those for second-order stimuli at corresponding sizes and eccentricities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4B 1R6. Rick.Gurnsey@concordia.ca
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gurnsey
authors.forename: Nikolaus F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Troje
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*