A new perceptual illusion reveals mechanisms of sensory decoding.

ABSTRACT: Perceptual illusions are usually thought to arise from the way sensory signals are encoded by the brain, and indeed are often used to infer the mechanisms of sensory encoding. But perceptual illusions might also result from the way the brain decodes sensory information, reflecting the strategies that optimize performance in particular tasks. In a fine discrimination task, the most accurate information comes from neurons tuned away from the discrimination boundary, and observers seem to use signals from these 'displaced' neurons to optimize their performance. We wondered whether using signals from these neurons might also bias perception. In a fine direction discrimination task using moving random-dot stimuli, we found that observers' perception of the direction of motion is indeed biased a

SUBMITTER: Jazayeri M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3010210 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature