Visual processing is biased in peripersonal foot space

Abstract

Objects in peripersonal space are of great importance for interaction with the sensory world. A variety of research exploring sensory processing in peripersonal space has produced extensive evidence for altered vision near the hands. However, visual representations of the peripersonal space surrounding the feet remain unexplored. In a set of four experiments, we investigated whether observers experience biases in visual processing for objects near the feet that mirror the alterations associated with near-hand space. Participants performed attentional-cueing tasks in which they detected targets appearing (1) near or far from a single visible foot, (2) near one of two visible feet, (3) near or far from a nonfoot visual anchor, or (4) near or far from an occluded foot. We found a temporal cost associated with detecting targets appearing far from a visible foot, but no biases were associated with targets appearing near versus far from either a nonfoot visual anchor or an occluded foot. These results provide the first evidence suggesting that objects within stepping or kicking distance are processed differently from objects outside of peripersonal foot space.