Abstract
Metacontrast refers to the modulation of visibility of a brief target stimulus created by a surrounding, non-overlapping subsequent visual mask. Metacontrast is known not only to impair visual perception of the target, but also to impact its perceived duration and its perceived time of occurrence. In a series of experiments, we tested this effect by collecting both temporal order judgments (TOJ) and subjective ratings from naive observers. We also tested the interplay between the perceived temporal position of the target and a simple motor response to the target. Results first show a very strong agreement of TOJs and subjective ratings. Second, our results suggest that perceptual delay and visibility of the target are negatively correlated. Third, we find evidence for a motor induced perceptual delay that seems independent from the metacontrast induced perceptual delay.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2014