Profile
Project Title: Inference and prediction in perception and oculomotor planning
Summary: Despite the limited or constrained information which hits the retina, humans are remarkably able to make highly complex inferences about objects in their environment Fleming, 2017; Stewart, Hartmann, et al., 2022). For example, characteristics such as an object’s shape or geometry can guide predictions about how it might move (Sigurdardottir et al., 2014) or help identify its orientation, such as determining the front or side of an unfamiliar, semantically meaningless object (Stewart et al., 2023).
The structure and function of the retina play a crucial role in this process. Most of our visual field is processed through low-resolution peripheral vision, with high-resolution central vision limited to a small focal area (Stewart et al., 2020). Humans make rapid eye movements—approximately 2-3 per second—to direct central vision toward areas of interest. These movements are not arbitrary but are influenced by a combination of perceptual and cognitive factors, including inferences about the objects being observed. Such inferences can shape gaze patterns and drive predictive oculomotor behaviour (Kowler et al., 2019; Stewart, Ludwig et al., 2022; Stewart & Fleming, 2023).
This PhD aims to investigate the interplay between visual inferences and perception by looking at how object-based inferences influence eye movements, the role of these inferences in driving predictive oculomotor and behavioural responses, and the contributions of both peripheral and central vision in forming these inferences and shaping our understanding of the world.
Supervisor: