Search goal tunes visual features optimally.

Full Abstract

How does a visual search goal modulate the activity of neurons encoding different visual features (e.g., color, direction of motion)? Previous research suggests that goal-driven attention enhances the gain of neurons representing the target's visual features. Here, we present mathematical and behavioral evidence that this strategy is suboptimal and that humans do not deploy it. We formally derive the optimal feature gain modulation theory, which combines information from both the target and distracting clutter to maximize the relative salience of the target. We qualitatively validate the theory against existing electrophysiological and psychophysical literature. A surprising prediction is that it is sometimes optimal to enhance nontarget features. We provide experimental evidence toward this through psychophysics experiments on human subjects, thus suggesting that humans deploy the optimal gain modulation strategy.

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Author information

Author/s: Navalpakkam, Vidhya (V); Itti, Laurent (L);

Affiliation: Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. vidhya(-atsign-)klab.caltech.edu

Journal and publication information

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

Journal: Neuron (Neuron), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Feb; vol 53 (issue 4) : pp 605-17

Dates: Created 2007/02/13; Completed 2008/04/28; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 17296560, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: Neuron. 2007 Feb 15;53(4):473-5. (PMID: 17296547)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Attention
Computer Simulation
Female
Humans
Male

Models, Neurological
Photic Stimulation - methods
Psychophysics
Reaction Time - physiology
Vision, Ocular - physiology
Visual Perception - physiology

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