Affiliations: [a] Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Canada | [b] Vision Science Research Program, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Canada | [c] Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada | [d] Faculty of Science and Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Vision Science Research Program, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst St., Fell 6-213, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada. Tel.: +1 416 603 5800 x 2515; Fax: +1 416 603 5136; E-mail: ltnistor@uhnres.utoronto.ca
Abstract: The effects of stimulus eccentricity, visual angle, and fixation on linear vection (sensation of self-translation induced by large moving scenes) were examined in healthy young people. Three aspects of vection were measured: latency, total vection time, and strength. The results showed that when peripheral and central stimuli are equal in area, they induce similar vection, but only when they are presented with a fixation cross. When presented without a fixation cross, peripheral stimuli are more effective in inducing vection than central stimuli. In addition, central stimuli with a fixation cross elicited more vection than central stimuli without a fixation cross. Fixation had no influence on the vection induced by peripheral stimuli. These findings indicate that statements about the role of central and peripheral stimuli of equal area in inducing vection should be made only in conjunction with reports about whether these stimuli are presented with or without fixation.
Keywords: Linear vection, self-induced motion, eccentricity, central vision, peripheral vision, stimulus size, fixation
