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The distribution of oriented contours in the real world.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Coppola, DM; Purves, HR; McCoy, AN; Purves, D
Published in: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
March 31, 1998

In both humans and experimental animals, the ability to perceive contours that are vertically or horizontally oriented is superior to the perception of oblique angles. There is, however, no consensus about the developmental origins or functional basis of this phenomenon. Here, we report the analysis of a large library of digitized scenes using image processing with orientation-sensitive filters. Our results show a prevalence of vertical and horizontal orientations in indoor, outdoor, and even entirely natural settings. Because visual experience is known to influence the development of visual cortical circuitry, we suggest that this real world anisotropy is related to the enhanced ability of humans and other animals to process contours in the cardinal axes, perhaps by stimulating the development of a greater amount of visual circuitry devoted to processing vertical and horizontal contours.

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Published In

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

DOI

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

March 31, 1998

Volume

95

Issue

7

Start / End Page

4002 / 4006

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Perception
  • Visual Pathways
  • Orientation
  • Humans
  • Animals
 

Citation

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Coppola, D. M., Purves, H. R., McCoy, A. N., & Purves, D. (1998). The distribution of oriented contours in the real world. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 95(7), 4002–4006. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.95.7.4002
Coppola, D. M., H. R. Purves, A. N. McCoy, and D. Purves. “The distribution of oriented contours in the real world.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 95, no. 7 (March 31, 1998): 4002–6. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.95.7.4002.
Coppola DM, Purves HR, McCoy AN, Purves D. The distribution of oriented contours in the real world. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Mar 31;95(7):4002–6.
Coppola, D. M., et al. “The distribution of oriented contours in the real world.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 95, no. 7, Mar. 1998, pp. 4002–06. Pubmed, doi:10.1073/pnas.95.7.4002.
Coppola DM, Purves HR, McCoy AN, Purves D. The distribution of oriented contours in the real world. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Mar 31;95(7):4002–4006.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

DOI

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

March 31, 1998

Volume

95

Issue

7

Start / End Page

4002 / 4006

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Perception
  • Visual Pathways
  • Orientation
  • Humans
  • Animals