Automatic and Attentional Components in Visual Space        Perception
{'Code': '08090200', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'IOS', 'LongName': 'Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Christopher Platt', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
This grant for two years is on visual perception.  The function of              the visual system is to generate representations of the environment             that will support adaptive behavior.  It is important for certain               "visual constancies" to be developed, so that for example a small               object nearby is not mistaken for a larger object farther away.  For            an observer to compute a visual representation of the size of an object,        both the projected size of the object and the viewing distance must be           considered.  Similarly, other "visual constancies" of objective shape,         depth and velocity must involve considering features other than the             projected view of the object.                                                                                                                                   One explanation for considering these other features is that                    mental "attention" is required for adequate processing, in                      addition to some "automatic" processing components that work in                 the absence of attention (known as "pre-attentive" processing).                                                                                                 This two-stage model suggests that two-dimensional properties                   (size, shape and position) do not require attention, but the 3-                 dimensional construct does depend on attention, operating on the                2-D representation.  This project will assess the computational                 steps for producing such representations, to see whether a two-                 stage model of processing is required for 3-D analysis.  Human                  observers will be presented with visual stimuli along with                      different kinds of attention-distractors.  Then they will be                    given a test stimulus and asked if it is the same or different                  from the original.  If a two-stage process occurs, distraction of               attention is expected to cause false positive responses.  Tests                 will concentrate on shape-at-a-slant, and size-at-a-distance.  A                second set of experiments will utilize search time necessary to                 distinguish such targets in a multiple array.  Here longer search               times are expected to reflect the longer processing required for                attentive steps, compared to the pre-attentive steps.                                                                                                           This research uses a novel approach, and has important                          implications for understanding visual space perception, and the                 field of computational vision.  It is likely to have impact on                  concepts of the role of attention in perception in general, and                 also on design of artificial vision systems.
{'FirstName': 'William', 'LastName': 'Epstein', 'PI_MID_INIT': None, 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'William Epstein', 'EmailAddress': None, 'NSF_ID': '000159297', 'StartDate': '09/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'University of Wisconsin-Madison', 'CityName': 'MADISON', 'ZipCode': '537151218', 'PhoneNumber': '6082623822', 'StreetAddress': '21 North Park Street', 'StreetAddress2': 'Suite 6301', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Wisconsin', 'StateCode': 'WI', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '02', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'WI02', 'ORG_DUNS_NUM': '161202122', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM', 'ORG_PRNT_DUNS_NUM': '041188822'}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
{'Code': '1185', 'Text': 'SENSORY SYSTEMS'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8706858.xml'}