On the need for discipline in the construction of psychological theories

A multi-channel approach to brightness coding

A model of brightness coding is presented which is shown to predict the appearance of a number of classical brightness phenomena. The model is known as MIDAAS which stands for Multiple Independent Descriptions Averaged Across Scale. In common with many other approaches to brightness perception MIDAAS imputes to local feature detectors a central role in the computation of brightness. It also explicitly recognises the crucial importance to brightness perception of feature detectors operating at different spatial scales. The unique and definitive feature of the model however is the supposition that each scale of spatial filtering operates as if to generate its own description of the pattern of brightness relationships in the image. The final percept is then provided by the composite of those individual brightness descriptions. It is shown that MIDAAS provides a good account of a variety of Mach band phenomena, the conditions under which the Missing Fundamental illusion is observed, the effect of occluding bars on the apparent contrast of step edges, the Chevreul illusion, simultaneous brightness contrast and the non-linear appearance of high contrast sinusoidal gratings. The advantages of MIDAAS over other approaches to brightness perception is discussed, as well as its current limitations.