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biased_competition_theory [2023/02/24 18:03] – created andrewtaustinbiased_competition_theory [2023/03/05 11:57] (current) – [Visual Fields] tom
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 =====Introduction===== =====Introduction=====
  
-The human visual system is an incredibly complex and highly integrated system, responsible for processing vast amounts of visual information that we encounter in our daily lives. The visual system is organized in such a way that the processing of visual information is highly selective, with only a small fraction of the incoming visual stimuli being processed by the brain. Biased competition theory is an influential theoretical framework that explains the selectivity of the visual system by positing that neurons in the visual cortex engage in competitive interactions, with the winner-takes-all. This paper will review the biased competition theory and its implications for visual processing in different parts of the visual field.+The human visual system is an incredibly complex and highly integrated system, responsible for processing vast amounts of visual information that we encounter in our daily lives. The visual system is organized in such a way that the processing of visual information is highly selective, with only a small fraction of the incoming visual stimuli being processed by the brain. Biased competition theory[(Biased_Competition_Theory>Biased Competition Theory[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biased_Competition_Theory|Wikipedia]])] is an influential theoretical framework that explains the selectivity of the visual system by positing that neurons in the visual cortex engage in competitive interactions, with the winner-takes-all. Biased competition theory advocates the idea that each object in the visual field competes for cortical representation and cognitive processing. This theory suggests that the process of visual processing can be biased by other mental processes such as bottom-up and top-down systems which prioritize certain features of an object or whole items for attention and further processing. Biased competition theory is, simply stated, the competition of objects for processing. This competition can be biased, often toward the object that is currently attended in the visual field, or alternatively toward the object most relevant to behavior.  
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 =====Biased Competition Theory===== =====Biased Competition Theory=====
  
-The biased competition theory was first proposed by Desimone and Duncan in 1995, as a way of explaining the mechanisms underlying selective attention in the visual system. According to the theory, neural activity in the visual cortex is highly competitive, with different neurons competing for access to limited resources. The competition is biased towards neurons that are more strongly activated, either by virtue of their receptive field properties or by the influence of top-down attentional mechanisms.+The biased competition theory was first proposed by Desimone and Duncan in 1995[(Desimone1995>Desimone, R., & Duncan, J. (1995). Neural Mechanism of Selective Visual Attention. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 18, 193-222.[[https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.ne.18.030195.001205?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed 
 +|annualreviews.org]])] 
 +, as a way of explaining the mechanisms underlying selective attention in the visual system. According to the theory, neural activity in the visual cortex is highly competitive, with different neurons competing for access to limited resources. The competition is biased towards neurons that are more strongly activated, either by virtue of their receptive field properties or by the influence of top-down attentional mechanisms.
  
 The theory suggests that competition between neurons in the visual cortex is mediated by inhibitory connections, which allow the most strongly activated neurons to suppress the activity of their competitors. The result of this competition is that only a subset of the incoming visual stimuli are processed by the brain, with the remainder being ignored. The theory suggests that competition between neurons in the visual cortex is mediated by inhibitory connections, which allow the most strongly activated neurons to suppress the activity of their competitors. The result of this competition is that only a subset of the incoming visual stimuli are processed by the brain, with the remainder being ignored.
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 =====Visual Fields===== =====Visual Fields=====
  
-The visual field is the area of the world that can be seen by the eyes when they are fixated on a point. The visual field is divided into two parts: the central visual field and the peripheral visual field. The central visual field is the area directly in front of the eyes, while the peripheral visual field is the area to the sides.+The visual field[(Visual_field>Visual Fields[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_field|Wikipedia]])] 
 + is the area of the world that can be seen by the eyes when they are fixated on a point. The visual field is divided into two parts: the central visual field[(Fixation>Fixation (visual)[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixation_(visual)|Wikipedia]])] 
 + and the peripheral visual field[(Peripheral_vision>Peripheral vision[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_vision|Wikipedia]])] 
 +. The central visual field is the area directly in front of the eyes, while the peripheral visual field is the area to the sides.
  
 Research has shown that the biased competition theory applies to both the central and peripheral visual fields. In the central visual field, competition between neurons is biased towards stimuli that are located at the fovea, the area of the retina responsible for high-acuity vision. This bias is thought to reflect the fact that the fovea contains a higher density of cones than the rest of the retina, allowing for more detailed visual processing. Research has shown that the biased competition theory applies to both the central and peripheral visual fields. In the central visual field, competition between neurons is biased towards stimuli that are located at the fovea, the area of the retina responsible for high-acuity vision. This bias is thought to reflect the fact that the fovea contains a higher density of cones than the rest of the retina, allowing for more detailed visual processing.
  • Last modified: 2023/02/24 18:03
  • by andrewtaustin