Perception of complex socially significant objects during observer’s rapid eye movements

The study is aimed at searching for vision process patterns, running in temporal microintervals while performing saccadic eye movements. Participants were presented with a colour picture of a face during saccades, which depicted different emotional states. The task was to recognize an emotional state and determine its localization in the visual field. Mean probability of successful expression recognition is shown to be above chance (0.61), related to its modality and to alternative response’s. The highest level of recognition is for happiness (0.81) and fear (0.71), the lowest – for neutral face expression (0.43). No accuracy difference for central zone (0°) and proximal periphery is observed. Perception of expressions during saccades is accompanied by visible space compression effects. Perceived face localization is shifted towards saccade endpoint regardless of face’s real position. The total evidence indicates for vision process continuity, its course prolongation and starting during rapid eye movements possibility.

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