Task-induced pupil response and visual perception in adults

Abstract

We assessed whether there are differences in pupil response that underlie the selection of local vs. global parts of a stimulus array in healthy adults. We designed a Navon Figures eyetracking paradigm (i.e. large figure composed of small figures), requiring an individual to vary only the information attended to within an image. We found that participants have a characteristic constriction of the pupil waveform during selection of local information relative to global information. Because stimuli and lighting conditions were identical across conditions, this indicates that pupil changes may serve in a visual filtering mechanism important for attentional selection. This work represents the first characterization of pupil response in the context of selective attention, suggesting that mechanisms underlying the earliest stages of visual processes could be relevant for perception and visual selection.