Eye movements and the associative basis of contingent color aftereffects: A comment on Siegel, Allan, and Eissenberg (1992).

Abstract

One of S. Siegel, L. G. Allen, and T. Eissenberg's (1992) recent arguments in support of associative-learning explanations of colored aftereffects (CAEs) is that the contingencies underlying these effects are not constrained by simple stimulus dimensions, such as contour orientation. Specifically, the authors claim to have generated CAEs contingent on sets of spatiotopic relationships between orientation components of a pattern (as opposed to orientation components per se). The present article illustrates how Siegel et al.'s claims are compromised by their failure to adequately address the role of fixation and eye movements during CAE induction.

Contingent color aftereffects: Reassessing old conclusions

“…The results from Experiments 4 and 5, as well as earlier data (Broerse & Grimbeek, 1994;Siegel et aI., 1992Siegel et aI., , 1994, indicate that color aftereffects are readily induced with geometric forms under a variety of conditions. It appears that the failure reported by Foreit and Ambler (1978) is anomalous.…”

“…The results reported by Siegel et al (1994) do not support the hypothesis advanced by and by Broerse and Grimbeek (1994) that instructions to scan would eliminate (or at least attenuate) the color aftereffect. Rather, Siegel et al's results suggest that scanning subjects do display form CCAEs.…”

“…Siegel et al ( , 1994 suggested that the induced aftereffects are spatiotopic; that is, that the aftereffects are contingent on form, and forms (like other patterns) can serve as CSs eliciting chromatic CRs that are CCAEs. Broerse and Grimbeek (1994) and , in contrast, suggested that the induced aftereffects are retinotopic, and that forms constructed of the same orientation components do not elicit spatiotopic CCAEs. Humphrey, Dodwell, and Emerson (1985) attempted to induce orientation CCAEs with orthogonal grids of the same color (same-color induction) rather than ofcomplementary colors.…”

“…In contrast, reported that such simple geometric forms can elicit form CCAEs. Broerse and Grimbeek (1994) and provided an account of the different findings reported by Foreit and Ambler (1978) and by Broerse and Grimbeek (1994) and evaluated the hypothesis that the color aftereffect described by was retinotopic by giving their subjects specific fixation instructions. Both Broerse and Grimbeek and Humphrey et al demonstrated that, with specific fixation instructions, retinotopic color aftereffects can be obtained.…”

“…The induction and assessment stimuli were outline geometric forms, a square and a "tic-tao-toe" cross, used by Siegel et al ( , 1994 and and similar to the forms used by Foreit and Ambler (1978) and Broerse and Grimbeek (1994). were two induction groups (n = 10 subjects per group).…”