Minimization of modal contours: An essential cross-species strategy in disambiguating relative depth
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Two chromatically identical patterns, a diamond and a ladder, were shown on a computer touchscreen. Domestic hens were reinforced for pecking at the pattern that was the highest up on a grid that provided pictorial depth information, i.e. on the pattern that to a human appears as being the furthest away. Every tenth trial was a non-rewarded probe trial with the two patterns partially overlapping. In the absence of other cues depth stratification can occur on the basis of a minimization of interpolated occluding contours. In humans the diamond is usually perceived to be in front of the ladder because shorter interpolated contours are needed to account for the occlusive effect of the diamond on the ladder. The hens pecked more often at the ladder during the probe trials. The results suggest that the avian and mammalian visual systems operate along similar principles when dealing with the problem of solving occlusion indeterminacy in chromatically homogeneous patterns.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Animal Cognition |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 181-185 |
Number of pages | 5 |
ISSN | 1435-9448 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1999 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:
Acknowledgements We wish to thank Marie Haskell for helping with the experiment, Lucia Regolin for commenting on the manuscript and Marina Rugger and Daniele Zavagno for the drawing of Figure 1. The study was supported by the British Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The experiments complied with the Home Office regulations of the UK.
- Chicken, Occlusion, Perception, Petter's rule
Research areas
ID: 338346592