Temporal Mechanisms Underlying Visual Processing Bias in Peripersonal Space

Abstract

The space near the body, the peripersonal space (PPS), acts like an anticipatory buffer, giving sufficient time to the motor system to prepare for actions; such as moving towards an object to pick it up, or moving away from a dangerous object in time. The anticipatory mechanisms associated with the PPS involve the pre-activation of motor resources, resulting in visual processing bias that favors the processing of action-relevant properties of an object, such as its distance, size, and manipulability. The anticipatory mechanisms also seem to make more time available for engaging in defensive behaviors. Therefore, it is expected that the subjective experience of time slows down in the PPS. In two experiments, the present project intends to look for temporal distortions in the processing of action-relevant information (manipulability in this case) in the PPS. Experiments 1 (Temporal Bisection task ) and 2 (Verbal Estimation Task ) will compare participant responses between two experimental conditions. The first condition will require participants to place both their hands on the sides of a computer monitor, making the stimuli presented on the monitor appear within the peri-hand space (the 'Near-Hand’ condition). Whereas, the second experimental condition will require the hands to be placed on the lap, making the stimuli appear far away from the hands (‘Far-Hand’ condition). To anticipate the results, there will be temporal overestimation that is specific to manipulable objects, in the PPS. Also, the temporal dilation will be modulated by changes in the Attentional Switch/Gate mechanisms, and not to the Pacemaker component of the Attentional Gate Model of Time perception; reflecting the early anticipatory mechanisms associated with the PPS.