Focused visual attention distorts distance perception away from the attentional locus

• Published in: Neuropsychologia Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 535 - 545
• Main Authors: Wardak, Claire, Denève, Sophie, Ben Hamed, Suliann
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Activity levels. Psychomotricity; Adult; Attention - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Distance; Distance Perception - physiology; Electrooculography; Female; Fixation; Fixation, Ocular - physiology; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Landmark task; Life Sciences; Male; Neurons and Cognition; Perception; Photic Stimulation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Saccades - physiology; Space Perception - physiology; Spatial representation; Vigilance. Attention. Sleep; Visual attention; Visual Perception - physiology; Young Adult; Landmark task; Perception; Fixation; Visual attention; Spatial representation; Distance; Human; Cognition; Space perception; Selective attention; Stimulus distance; Focusing; Vision

▶ Space is overestimated around the fixated position. ▶ Additional focused attention at the fixation position increases this overestimation. ▶ Attention-induced spatial overestimation is not specific to the locus of fixation. ▶ Rather, spatial distortion is centered around any locus of attention. ▶...