Reduced Object-based Grouping in the Near-hand Space

Date of Award

Spring 5-15-2015

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Author's Department

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Arts (AM/MA)

Degree Type

Thesis

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that hand proximity changes visual perception (Abrams et. al., 2008). The present study examined the effects of hand proximity on object-based perception. In three experiments, participants viewed stimuli that were either near to or far from their hands. The target stimulus appeared, after a cue, in one of two rectangular objects: Either at the location that had been previously cued, at the uncued end of the cued object, or in the uncued object. We found a significantly reduced same-object benefit in reaction time for stimuli near the hands in Experiment 1. Interestingly, we observed a same-object cost in sensitivity for stimuli near the hands in two other experiments. The results reveal that object-based perception is disrupted in the near-hand space. This is consistent with previous findings revealing altered visual processing near the hands.

Language

English (en)

Chair and Committee

Richard A. Abrams

Committee Members

Jeffrey M. Zacks, Julie M. Bugg

Comments

Permanent URL: https://doi.org/10.7936/K7GF0RP4

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS