Spatial Properties of Scintillating Grid Illusion by Visual Experiment and Numerical Simulation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to comprehend the spatial properties of the scintillating grid illusion through visual experiments. This aimed to clarify the functional difference between central and peripheral vision, and numerical simulations were conducted employing a mathematical model. Experiment 1 revealed that black was perceived within the white circle at visual angles of ±6 and ±12 degrees, in contrast to ±0.6 and ±3.0 degrees. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the scintillating grid illusion manifested more prominently in positions with greater horizontal eccentricity in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. Experiment 3 examined the scintillating grid illusion in monocular vision, discovering that both left and right monocular vision exhibited anisotropy to the same degree as binocular vision in relation to the scintillating grid illusion. Based on the aforementioned experimental outcomes, this study enhanced a mathematical model created with differential equations to elucidate visual information processing. This model incorporated the spatial properties in light of experimental and electrophysiological findings. Numerical simulations showed that the enhanced model generated results that were more consistent with experimental data than its predecessor. These findings suggest that both central and peripheral visual field functions may be implicated in the scintillation grid illusion.

Keywords: scintillating grid illusion, peripheral vision, visual experiment, differential equation model, numerical simulation