Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Physiology based simulation model of triangle shape recognition

  • Published:
Biological Cybernetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present paper considers the relation between the shape of a triangle and probability of its recognition. An effect of triangle size on perception of its shape is examined in the first experiment. In the second the loci of eye fixations during triangle recognition task are recorded and analysed. A simulation model of the recognition process is proposed. The model is based on two main assumptions: 1. an accuracy of shape processing is related to the cortical magnification factor, 2. a subject's response depends on actual position of eye fixation. The validity of the model is verified by comparing the theoretical and experimental response distributions. Some psychophysiological implications are then discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Attneave F (1954) Some informational aspects of visual perception. Psychol Rev 61:183–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Attneave F, Arnoult MD (1956) The quantitative study on shape and pattern perception. Psychol Bull 53:452–471

    Google Scholar 

  • Barlow HB, Reeves BC (1979) The versatility and absolute efficiency of detecting mirror symmetry in random dot displays. Vision Res 19:783–793

    Google Scholar 

  • Bedell HE, Barbeito R, Aitsebaomo PA (1984) The precision of oculocentric direction and its role in the stability of fixation. Vision Res 24:1157–1161

    Google Scholar 

  • Blum H (1973) Biological shape and visual science, part 1. J Theor Biol 38:205–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavanagh P (1978) Size and position invariance in the visual system. Perception 7:167–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavanagh P (1981) Size invariance: reply to Schwartz. Perception 10:469–474

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavanagh P (1982) Functional size invariance is not provided by the cortical magnification factor. Vision Res 22:1409–1412

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniel PM, Whitteridge D (1961) The representation of the visual field on the cerebral cortex in monkeys. J Physiol 159:203–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Dow BM, Snyder AZ, Vautin RG, Bauer R (1981) Magnification factor and receptive field size in foveal striate cortex of the monkey. Exp Brain Res 44:213–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Finney DJ (1952) Probit analysis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster DH (1982) Analysis of discrete internal representations of visual pattern stimuli. In: Beck J (ed) Organization and representation in perception. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ, pp 319–341

    Google Scholar 

  • Guld C, Bertulis A (1976) Representation of fovca in the striate cortex of vervet monkey, cercopithecus aethiops pygerythrus. Vision Res 16:629–631

    Google Scholar 

  • Hitchcock PF, Hickey TL (1980) Ocular dominance columns: evidence for their presence in humans. Brain Res 182:176–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Horton JC, Hubel DH (1980) Cytochrome oxidase stain preferentially labels intersection of ocular dominance and vertical orientation columns in macaque striate cortex. Soc Neurosci 6:315 (abstr)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubel DH, Wiesel TN (1974) Uniformity of monkey striate cortex: a parallel relationship between field size, scatter, and magnification factor. J Comp Neurol 158:295–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins B (1983) Component processes in the perception of bilaterally symmetric dot textures. Percept Psychophys 34:433–440

    Google Scholar 

  • Julesz B (1971) Foundations of cyclopean perception. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp 127–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Letelier JC, Varcla F (1984) Why the cortical magnification factor in rhesus is isotropic. Vision Res 24:1091–1095

    Google Scholar 

  • Levi DM, Klein SA, Aitsebaomo AP (1985) Vernier acuity, crowding and cortical magnification. Vision Res 25:963–977

    Google Scholar 

  • Pizlo Z, Gradus-Pizlo IA (1986) Simulation model of human shape recognition. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci [Suppl] 27:343

    Google Scholar 

  • Pizlo Z, Szczechura J (1984) The role of eye movements in shape recognition, Perception 13:A44

  • Pizlo Z, Szczechura J (1987) Simulation model of judgements of asymmetry of a triangle based on eye fixations. In: O'Regan JK, Levy-Schoen A (eds) Eye movements: from physiology to cognition. Elsevier-North-Holland, Amsterdam, New York, pp 376–377

    Google Scholar 

  • Pizlo Z, Tarnecki R (1987a) The effect of figure position on shape recognition. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci [Suppl] 28:101

    Google Scholar 

  • Pizlo Z, Tarnecki R (1987b) The importance of eye movements in triangle shape discrimination. In: Lüer G, Lass U (eds) Fourth European Conference on Eye Movements, Vol 1: Proceedings. Hogrefe, Lewiston, pp 49–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Rattle JD (1969) Effect of target size on monocular fixation. Optical Acta 16:183–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Rovamo J, Raninen A (1984) Critical flicker frequency and M-scaling of stimulus size and retinal illuminance. Vision Res 24:1127–1131

    Google Scholar 

  • Rovamo J, Virsu V (1979) An estimation and application of the human cortical magnification factor. Exp Brain Res 37:495–510

    Google Scholar 

  • Rovamo J, Virsu V, Nasanen R (1978) Cortical magnification factor predicts the photopic contrast sensitivity of peripheral vision. Nature 271:54–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Sagi D, Julesz B (1985) “Where” and “what” in vision. Science 228:1217–1219

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakitt B (1982) Why the cortical magnification factor in rhesus can not be isotropic. Vision Res 22:417–421

    Google Scholar 

  • Sansbury RV, Skavenski AA, Haddad GM, Steinman RM (1973) Normal foxation of eccentric targets. J Opt Soc Am 63:612–614

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlingensiepen K-H, Campbell FW, Legge GE, Walker TD (1986) The importance of eye movements in the analysis of simple patterns. Vision Res 26:1111–1117

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz EL (1980a) A quantitative model of the functional architecture of human striate cortex with application to visual illusion and cortical texture analysis. Biol Cybern 37:63–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz DL (1980b) Computational anatomy and functional architecture of striate cortex: a spatial mapping approach to perceptual coding. Vision Res 20:645–669

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz EL (1983) Cortical mapping and perceptual invariance: a reply to Cavanagh. Vision Res 23:831–835

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinman RM (1965) Effect of target size, luminance and color on monocular fixation. J Opt Soc Am 55:1158–1165

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinman RM (1986) Eye movement. Vision Res 26:389–1400

    Google Scholar 

  • Talbot SA, Marshall WH (1941) Physiological studies on neural mechanisms of visual localization and discrimination. Am J Opthalmol 24:1255–1264

    Google Scholar 

  • Tootel RBH, Silverman MS, Switkes E, De Valois RL (1982) Deoxyglucose analysis of retinotopic organization in primate striate cortex. Science 218:902–904

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Essen DC, Newsome WT, Maunsell JHR (1984) The visual field representation in striate cortex of the macaque monkey: asymmetries, anisotropies, and individual variability. Vision Res 24:429–448

    Google Scholar 

  • Virsu V, Rovamo J (1979) Visual resolution, contrast sensitivity, and cortical magnification factor. Exp Brain Res 37:475–494

    Google Scholar 

  • Virsu V, Rovamo J, Laurinen P, Nasanen R (1982) Temporal contrast sensitivity and cortical magnification. Vision Res 22:1211–1217

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitz PC, Todd TC (1971) A model of the perception of simple geometric figures. Psychol Rev 78:207–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Warrington EK (1985) Agnosia: the impairment of object recognition. In: Frederiks JAJ (ed) Handbook of clinical neurology. 1(45). Elsevier, Amsterdam New York, pp 333–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Wertheim T (1894) Über die indirekte Sehschärfe. Z Psychol Physiol Sinnesorg 7:172–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Weymouth FW, Hines DC, Acres LH, Raaf JE, Wheeler MC (1928) Visual acuity within the area centralis and its relation to eye movements and fixation. Am J Ophthalmol 11:947–960

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Z. Pizlo

    Present address: Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 3 Pasteur St., PL-02-093, Warsaw, Poland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Research Institute for Labour Protection, Lukowa 2m14, PL-02-767, Warsaw, Poland

    Z. Pizlo

Authors
  1. Z. Pizlo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

A partial report of this research was given at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (Pizlo and Gradus-Pizlo 1986)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pizlo, Z. Physiology based simulation model of triangle shape recognition. Biol. Cybern. 58, 51–62 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00363955

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00363955

Keywords

Search

Navigation