science

Saccadic suppression of image displacement

Saccadic suppression of image displacement is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Saccadic suppression of image displacement rather than just read about it. In short: Saccadic suppression of image displacement (SSID) is the phenomenon in visual perception where the brain selectively blocks visual processing during eye movements in such a way that large changes in object location in the visual scene during a saccade or blink are not detected. The phenomenon described by Bridgeman et al.

Key takeaways

Saccadic suppression of image displacement belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Saccadic suppression of image displacement to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Saccadic suppression of image displacement from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Saccadic suppression of image displacement (SSID) is the phenomenon in visual perception where the brain selectively blocks visual processing during eye movements in such a way that large changes in object location in the visual scene during a saccade or blink are not detected. The phenomenon described by Bridgeman et al. (Bridgeman, G., Hendry, D., & Stark, L., 1975) is characterized by the inability to detect changes in the location of a target when the change occurs immediately before, during, or shortly after the saccade, following a time course very similar to that of the suppression of visual sensitivity, with a magnitude perhaps even more striking than that of visual sensitivity (4 log units vs. 0.5–0.7 log units (Bridgeman et al., 1975; Volkmann, 1986)). These results indicate that the human perceptual system neglects many useful pieces of information when it comes to spatially localizing target displacements occurring during a saccade. Surprisingly, in contrast to the perceptual system, the motor system is able to access precise spatial information in order to render precise motor actions during a saccade (Bridgeman, Lewis, Heit, & Nagle, 1979; Prablanc & Martin, 1992).

Elimination If a target which is displaced during a saccade is not present at the end of the saccade, but reappears a short time later after a blank interval, subjects are able to regain the ability to successfully detect whether the target has moved. In these studies it was discovered that as the gap between the end of the saccade and the presentation of the shifted target increases, subjects become much more accurate at detecting displacement, and that with a gap of 150 ms participants had reached ceiling in their performance. Deubel and colleagues termed this the 'blanking effect' (Deubel et al., 1996; Deubel et al., 2004). These results suggest that while extra-retinal information is present, and contains accurate localization information, it is only used when other information is not available – specifically retinal scene information. According to this model, three sources of information must be present in order to maintain visual constancy and successfully determine the direction of a target displacement: the target position prior to the saccade, extra retinal information, and a retinal error signal from the corrective saccade to determine the actual direction of target movement by comparing it to the efference copy and proprioceptive inflow (Deubel et al., 1996).

Tactile suppression of displacement

Using the device pictured on the right, Ziat et al. (2010) demonstrated a phenomenon akin to the saccadic suppression of image displacement (Bridgeman et al., 1975) in the tactile system. Under certain conditions participants failed to detect that dots had changed location as they moved their fingers over the tactile display.

See also Chronostasis Frame rate List of cognitive biases Raster scan Saccadic masking Transsaccadic memory

References Bridgeman, G., Hendry, D., & Stark, L., Failure to detect displacement of visual world during saccadic eye movements. Vision Research, 15, 719–722. (1975) paper Ziat, M., Hayward, V., Chapman, C. E., Ernst, M. & Lenay, C., Tactile suppression of displacement Experimental Brain Research, 206, 299–310. (2010) paper

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Saccadic suppression of image displacement

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Saccadic suppression of image displacement claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Saccadic suppression of image displacement before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Saccadic suppression of image displacement ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Saccadic suppression of image displacement

In research: Saccadic suppression of image displacement appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Saccadic suppression of image displacement in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Saccadic suppression of image displacement is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Motor control, Saccade, Vision, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Saccadic suppression of image displacement outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Saccadic suppression of image displacement in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Saccadic suppression of image displacement in simple terms?

Why does Saccadic suppression of image displacement matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Saccadic suppression of image displacement?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Saccadic suppression of image displacement.