Nonie J. Finlayson

Ohio State University

Exploring the depths of visual perception with horizontal (x) and vertical (y) coordinates

 

An understanding of depth information is critical to a complete picture of visual processing. I will describe two studies investigating how depth affects visual perception. The first, a behavioral study, demonstrates how visual search is influenced by 3D spatial layout. We find that multiple parameters of 3D space affect search performance, including 3D spatial volume, 3D spatial layout, and relative but not absolute target position in depth. The second study uses fMRI multi-voxel pattern analysis to investigate how the three spatial dimensions x, y, and z are represented and interact with one another in visual cortex. In addition to finding depth-selective regions, we find evidence for unique interactions between x, y, and z. I will discuss these interactions in light of previous 2D spatial findings, focusing in particular on how depth information sheds a different light on the organization of our spatial representations and the assumed reduction in spatial specificity in higher visual regions.