Is 20/20 vision good enough? Visual acuity differences within the normal range predict contour element detection and integration

Psychon Bull Rev. 2015 Feb;22(1):121-7. doi: 10.3758/s13423-014-0647-9.

Abstract

Contour integration (CI) combines appropriately aligned and oriented elements into continuous boundaries. Collinear facilitation (CF) occurs when a low-contrast oriented element becomes more visible when flanked by collinear high-contrast elements. Both processes rely at least partly on long-range horizontal connections in early visual cortex, and thus both have been extensively studied to understand visual cortical functioning in aging, development, and clinical disorders. Here, we ask: Can acuity differences within the normal range predict CI or CF? To consider this question, we measured binocular visual acuity and compared subjects with 20/20 vision to those with better-than-20/20 vision (SharpPerceivers) on two tasks. In the CI task, subjects located an integrated shape embedded in varying amounts of noise; in the CF task, subjects detected a low-contrast element flanked by collinear or orthogonal high-contrast elements. In each case, displays were scaled in size to modulate element visibility and spatial frequency (4-12 cycles/deg). SharpPerceivers could integrate contours under noisier conditions than the 20/20 group (p = .0002), especially for high spatial frequency displays. Moreover, although the two groups exhibited similar collinear facilitation, SharpPerceivers could detect the central target with lower contrast at high spatial frequencies (p <. 05). These results suggest that small acuity differences within the normal range--corresponding to about a one line difference on a vision chart--strongly predict element detection and integration. Furthermore, simply ensuring that subjects have normal or corrected-to-normal vision is not sufficient when comparing groups on contour tasks; visual acuity confounds also need to be ruled out.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Concept Formation
  • Contrast Sensitivity
  • Discrimination, Psychological*
  • Female
  • Field Dependence-Independence*
  • Form Perception*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Orientation*
  • Perceptual Masking
  • Psychophysics
  • Reaction Time
  • Reference Values
  • Vision, Binocular
  • Visual Acuity*