Variations in crowding, saccadic precision, and spatial localization reveal the shared topology of spatial vision

TLDR

Visual performance varies with stimulus location in the visual field. The study investigates the origins of spatial vision variations in crowding, localization, and saccadic eye movements. The authors propose a topology of spatial vision, where individual differences in spatial precision arise early and propagate to higher‑level recognition and motor planning. Across individuals and visual field locations, tasks show strong correlations, yet dissociations indicate these correlations do not stem from a single shared spatial representation.

Abstract

Significance Our ability to see, localize, and interact with stimuli varies depending on their location in the visual field. Here we consider the source of these variations for several aspects of spatial vision: crowding (the disruption of object recognition in clutter), spatial localization, and saccadic eye movements. We observe a range of variations across both individuals and the visual field with strong correlations between all tasks. However, a number of dissociations exclude the possibility that these correlations arise from the same spatial representation of the visual field. Rather, we propose a “topology of spatial vision,” whereby idiosyncratic variations in spatial precision are established early in the visual system and inherited up to the highest levels of object recognition and motor planning.