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When do contrast sensitivity deficits (or enhancements) depend on spatial frequency? Two ways to avoid spurious interactions
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  • Howard Bi,
  • Yonatan Abrham,
  • Pamela Butler,
  • Boyang Hu,
  • Brian Keane
Howard Bi
University of Rochester Medical Center

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Yonatan Abrham
University of Rochester
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Pamela Butler
Nathan S Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
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Boyang Hu
University of Rochester
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Brian Keane
University of Rochester Medical Center
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Abstract

Studies across a broad range of disciplines–from psychiatry to cognitive science to behavioral neuroscience–have reported on whether the magnitude of contrast sensitivity alterations in one group or condition varies with spatial frequency. Significant interactions have often gone unexplained or have been used to argue for impairments in specific processing streams. Here, we show that interactions with spatial frequency may need to be re-evaluated if the inherent skew/heteroscedasticity was not taken into account or if refractive error could plausibly differ across groups or conditions. By re-analyzing a publicly available data set, we show that–when using raw contrast sensitivity data–schizophrenia patients exhibit an apparent contrast sensitivity impairment at low, but not high, spatial frequencies, but that when using log-transformed data or when using generalized estimating equations, this interaction reversed. The reversed interaction, but not the overall contrast sensitivity deficit, would disappear if groups were matched on visual acuity. However, matching groups in this way is probably only defensible if acuity differences arise from optical blur. These analyses reconcile seemingly discrepant findings in the literature and demonstrate that properly reporting contrast sensitivity interactions with spatial frequency requires accounting for refraction error and skew/heteroscedasticity.
19 Oct 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
27 Oct 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
02 Dec 20221st Revision Received
07 Dec 2022Assigned to Editor
07 Dec 2022Submission Checks Completed
07 Dec 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
08 Dec 2022Editorial Decision: Accept