Temporal acuity of vision decreases with eccentricity in virtual reality and is associated with schizotypy

Abstract Temporal acuity reflects our ability to consciously detect a perceptual change within a short period of time, such as an asynchrony separating two visual events. In this virtual reality study, fifty participants performed a simultaneity judgment task to estimate temporal acuity across the visual field and filled the schizotypal personality questionnaire. Topographic maps were computed to visualize asynchrony discrimination skills across the visual space in two different (natural and artificial) static virtual environments. We investigate visual temporal acuity in periphery, and how estimates of temporal acuity in a psychophysical-like setting translates into a naturalistic-like scenario. First, the temporal acuity of vision decreases as the eccentricity of the targets increases, but it remains constant across meridians. Second, this deterioration of temporal coding in peripheral vision concerns non-medicated individuals self-reporting perceptual and cognitive schizotypal traits. Third, temporal acuity estimated in a traditional psychophysical visual context does not generalize to an ecologically-valid landscape scenery, such that asynchrony discrimination skills are reduced under natural vision conditions. The results suggest that distinct temporal mechanisms drive visual temporal acuity in central and peripheral vision. Furthermore, perceptual and cognitive disturbances in the neurotypical population may be linked to abnormal temporal processing in peripheral vision. Overall, these findings may pave the way toward novel investigations into the variety of time experiences across neurotypical and neurodivergent populations.