Research Bursary Program
Supervisor Project Proposal for Summer 2015
Supervisor Last Name: Kingdom
McGill Dept/School: Ophthalmology
Faculty Professor (Full, Associate or Assistant): Full
Email: fred.kingdom@mcgill.ca
Supervisor First Name: Frederick
Phone No. (optional): 514-934-1934 x35308
Research Field: Visual Neuroscience
Proposal No. (1 or 2): 1
Research Location (McGill or affiliated institution): RVH, Rm. H4-14
Ethics approval will be required for proposed project (Yes/No): No
Proposed project will involve chart reviews (Yes/No): No
Project Title (maximum 1 line):
Colour and luminance interactions in dichoptic vision.
Hypothesis/Question to be Addressed (maximum 4 lines):
We will test the hypothesis that when an object’s chromaticities (colours) are different in the two eye’s view, the
inter-ocular inhibition between the colours that normally results in the weaker colour being suppressed in one
eye is reduced when the object has the same amount of texture in the two eyes.
Specific Aims (maximum 10 lines):
Dichoptic vision refers to how a stimulus presented to one eye interacts with a different stimulus presented to the
other eye. Mounting evidence from Dr. Kingdom’s laboratory has revealed a new type of interaction between
colour (chromatic) and luminance (brightness) contrast in dichoptic vision. Specifically we have accumulated
evidence that if a pattern has different colours in the two eyes, the inter-ocular inhibition between the colours
that normally results in the weaker of the two colours being suppressed is reduced if the pattern has the same
luminance contrast in the two eyes. The reduction of inter-ocular inhibition results in the mixing, or averaging of
the two colours. We believe this happens because the luminance contrast promotes the interpretation that the
colours nevertheless come from the same object (the object commonality hypothesis). We wish to test whether
texture has a similar effect in promoting dichoptic colour mixing as luminance contrast, using psychophysical
(behavioural) methods with computer-generated test patterns and computer-recorded subject responses.
Role of Student (maximum 15 lines):
For background the student will carry out a literature review of colour vision, binocular vision and psychophysical
methods. For the latter the student will use a practical-based research methods textbook on psychophysical
procedures, which will also serve to familiarize the student with Matlab and to enable him/her to analyze
psychophysical data. For the experimental part of the project the student will be involved at every stage, including
the formulation of the hypothesis, the design of the stimuli and experimental procedures, the recruitment of test
subjects, the collection and analysis of the data and the writing of a scientific report. The student will not
however be required to program the computer that drives the psychophysics display system as it would be
impossible to learn how to do this within the time frame of a summer project. Thus no prior knowledge of
computers is necessary. Finally, the student will have the opportunity to visit and interact with researchers in
other laboratories in the McGill Vision Research Unit.