The characteristics of preattentive process in vision and its neurophysiological basis.

前注意过程是一种感知模式，在这种模式中，信息在广阔的视野中被快速、自动地处理，而不需要注意。这一过程对于从输入的信息中提取轮廓属性并快速形成高级认知的基本表征起着重要作用。通过纹理感知实验、视觉搜索实验、图底感知实验、视觉插值实验和复合图案感知实验，我们发现了前注意过程的共同特征。前注意过程的知觉反应是快速和短暂的，具有较高的时间频率偏好。它们的空间分辨率较低，但对具有相同特征的区域具有很强的关联性。它们的亮度对比灵敏度极好，但它们的色彩对比灵敏度较差。根据这些发现，我们认为由Livingstone和Hubel研究的磁诺系统是前注意过程的神经生理学基础。马尼奥神经元的接受野很大，反应也很快。报道了提取相同特征的神经元之间的相互联系。磁诺神经元表现出较强的亮度对比敏感性，但对颜色对比的敏感性较差。目前提出的一些注意力模型是基于WTA（赢者通吃）网络或基于振荡神经反应的同步。如果这些想法在磁诺系统活动的背景下得到扩展，那么就有可能抑制冗余信息，并在物体识别的关键位置和分辨率上有效地引导注意力。

The preattentive process is a mode of perception in which the information is processed in a wide visual field, rapidly and automatically, without attention. This process plays an important role to pick up outline properties from the inputted information and to make quickly a basic representations for the formation of higher cognitions.We found the following common characteristics in preattentive process, from the experiments on texture perception, visual search, figure-ground perception, visual interpolation, and compound pattern perception. The perceptual responses in preattentive process are quick and transient, with higher temporal frequency preference. Their spatial resolution is low, but they show the strong linking property to process collectively the regions which have the same features. Their luminance contrast sensitivity is extremely good, but their color contrast sensitivity is poor.From these findings, we regard the magno system investigated by Livingstone & Hubel as a neurophysiological basis for the preattentive process. The receptive fields of the magno neurons are large and their responses are fast. The mutual connections are reported among the neurons which extract the same features. The magno neurons show strong luminace contrast sensitivity, but poor sensitivity to color contrast.Some of the current models of attention are proposed based on the WTA (Winner-Take-All) network or on the synchronization of oscillatory neural responses. If these ideas are extended in the context of the magno system's activity, it is suggest to be possible to inhibit redundant information and to guide attention effectively at the critical location and resolution for object recognition.