Blinking plays a key role in visual perception, new research reveals

Researchers have made an important discovery about the common act of blinking. According to a new study carried out by the University of Rochester, Blinking does much more than just keep your eyes lubricated: it plays a crucial role in how we process visual information.

Although blinking occurs more frequently than necessary for mere lubrication, Michele Rucci, professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, suggested that there is a deeper purpose.

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“Blinks effectively reformat visual information, producing luminance signals that differ dramatically from those normally experienced when we look at a point in the scene,” said Rucci.

Tracking eye movements

The research team tracked eye movements and combined that data with computational modeling and spectral analysis to examine how blinking affects our vision compared to when our eyes are fully open.

The findings revealed that Blinking helps you notice larger, more gradual changes in the visual field. This mechanism provides the brain with important signals about the broader visual landscape, improving our overall perception.

The researchers also discovered that When we blink, the rapid movement of the eyelid alters the light patterns that are effective in stimulating the retina. This creates a different type of visual signal to our brain compared to when our eyes are open and focused on a specific point.

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“We show that human observers benefit from flicker transients, as predicted from the information conveyed by these transients,” explained Bin Yang, lead author of the study.

“Therefore, contrary to common assumption, O Blinking enhances, rather than disrupts, visual processinglargely compensating for the loss in stimulus exposure,” Yang said.

Vision is similar to other senses

Basically, this groundbreaking research shows that blinking helps us understand bettercompensating for the moments when we can’t tell when our eyes are closed.

It is believed that the research could transform our understanding that vision is simply receiving sensory information. She suggests that vision is more similar to other senses, such as touch and hearingwhere movement plays a fundamental role in how we perceive things.

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If the new research has taught us anything, it’s that blinking is much more than meets the eye, giving us insight into the fundamental ways we interact with our visual environment. Subconscious action is inherently complex and at the same time crucial in visual perception.

News reference:

Yang, B.; Intoy, J.; Rucci, M. Eye blinks as a visual processing stage. PNAS, vol. 121, no. 15, 2024.