Using stimuli composed of two independent gratings viewed through multiple apertures, we investigate a number of parameters affecting the integration of locally ambiguous motions into globally coherent motion. In four experiments, we varied local factors (grating spatial frequency, speed, contrast, duty cycle, orientation) and global factors (degree of similarity and common fate between the gra...

Different studies provide evidence that the computational psycholinguistic algorithm called Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) allows measuring local and global coherence in texts similarly to human evaluation (Foltz, Kintsch, Landauer 1998; McNamara, Cai & Louwerse 2007; McCarthy, Briner, Rus, & McNamara, 2007; McNamara, Louwerse & Jeuniaux 2009; Louwerse, McCarthy & Graesser 2010). The texts used...

[1] Frequency-dependent coherence between atmospheric CO2 and historical temperatures reveals climate feedbacks within Earth’s carbon cycle. Coherence between interannual fluctuations in global-average temperature and atmospheric CO2 has changed over time. Since 1979, at Mauna Loa and other observation sites, interannual coherence exhibits a 90 phase lag that suggests a direct correlation betwe...

The four-dimensional Wigner distribution function is determined from intensity profiles measured in the focused photon beam of FLASH (Free-electron laser in Hamburg) for a variety of photon beamline settings. The Wigner formalism results in comprehensive coherence information without the requirement of simplifying assumptions on the beam. The entire four-dimensional spatial mutual coherence fun...

We measured neural responses to local and global aspects of form and motion stimuli using frequency-tagged, steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Random dot stimuli were used to portray either dynamic Glass patterns (Glass, 1969) or coherent motion displays. SSVEPs were used to estimate neural activity in a set of fMRI-defined visual...

We developed a global orientation coherence task for the assessment of global form processing along similar lines to the global motion coherence task. The task involved judgments of global orientation for an array of limited duration 1-D Gabors, some of which were signal (signal orientation) and some of which were noise (random orientation). We address two issues. First: Do motion and form glob...

There is much evidence in primates' visual processing for distinct mechanisms involved in object recognition and encoding object position and motion, which have been identified with 'ventral' and 'dorsal' streams, respectively, of the extra-striate visual areas [1] [2] [3]. This distinction may yield insights into normal human perception, its development and pathology. Motion coherence sensitiv...

Frith's original notion of 'weak central coherence' suggested that increased local processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) resulted from reduced global processing. More recent accounts have emphasised superior local perception and suggested intact global integration. However, tasks often place local and global processing in direct trade-off, making it difficult to determine whether group d...