Combining sensory information: mandatory fusion within, but not between, senses.

Full Abstract

Humans use multiple sources of sensory information to estimate environmental properties. For example, the eyes and hands both provide relevant information about an object's shape. The eyes estimate shape using binocular disparity, perspective projection, etc. The hands supply haptic shape information by means of tactile and proprioceptive cues. Combining information across cues can improve estimation of object properties but may come at a cost:
loss of single-cue information. We report that single-cue information is indeed lost when cues from within the same sensory modality (disparity and texture gradients in vision) are combined, but not when different modalities (vision and haptics) are combined.

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Author information

Author/s: Hillis, J M (JM); Ernst, M O (MO); Banks, M S (MS); Landy, M S (MS);

Affiliation: Vision Science Program, School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-2020, USA. jmhillis(-atsign-)CATTELL.psych.upenn.edu

Grants: EY08266 (Agency:United States NEI) ; EY12851 (Agency:United States NEI)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Science (New York, N.Y.) (Science), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 298 (issue 5598) : pp 1627-30

Dates: Created 2002/11/26; Completed 2002/12/20; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12446912, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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