Transient perceptual enhancements resulting from selective shifts of exogenous attention in the central fovea

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.105
• Publication Date: 2021-04-29T14:40:50Z
• Authors: Yue Guzhang; Natalya Shelchkova; Rania Ezzo; Martina Poletti
• Keywords: Transient (computer programming)

Exogenous attention, a powerful adaptive tool that quickly and involuntarily orients processing resources to salient stimuli, has traditionally been studied in the lower-resolution parafoveal peripheral visual field.1-4 It is not known whether how it operates across 1° central fovea where resolution peaks.5,6 Here we investigated dynamics of exogenous attention foveola. To circumvent challenges posed by fixational eye movements at this scale, used high-precision eye-tracking gaze-contingent display control for retinal stabilization.7 High-acuity stimuli were briefly presented foveally varying delays following an cue. Attended unattended locations just few arcminutes away from preferred locus fixation. Our results show short temporal delays, observers' ability discriminate fine detail enhanced cued location. This enhancement highly localized does extend nearby only 16' away. On longer timescale, instead, report inverse effect: paradoxically, acuity sharper locations, resembling phenomenon inhibition return much larger eccentricities.8-10 Although represents mechanism low-cost monitoring environment extrafoveal space, these findings that, foveola, transiently modulates vision with high degree resolution. Together return, may aid exploration complex foveal stimuli.11.