Contacts
My first degree was in Mechanical Engineering, from the University of Queensland. I then did a Psychology degree at ANU and a PhD in visual psychophysics at the University of Melbourne, which I completed in 1994. Following seven years of research at NTT Basic Research Laboratories in Japan and the School of Optometry at the University of California at Berkeley I returned to ANU in 2001 to take up a faculty position.
Research interests
Our sense of vision is fundamental to our ability to interact with the world. Additionally, a great deal of our understanding of how the brain functions is based on our knowledge of how it processes visual information. The aim of my research is to further our understanding of the workings of the human visual system, with an emphasis on how various visual pathways interact at different levels in the brain, including situations where the visual systems gets the combination of features wrong, e.g. synaesthesia. While I am interested in all aspects of visual processing, my research to date has particularly focused on motion, but also includes face processing and stereopsis.
Many of the objects of interest to us are in motion, so it is not surprising that the extraction of visual motion is one of the tasks that the visual system is specialised for. Indeed, a major subsystem within the brain is dedicated to motion processing. My research has focused on a number of aspects of motion processing, including determining: how different visual pathways interact at different levels in the brain, including the interaction of motion (dorsal pathway) and form (ventral pathway) signals; the sensitivity of the visual system to optic-flow information (patterns of retinal motion produced by motion through an environment); the effect of optic-flow information on perceived stereoscopic depth; how multiple moving objects are processed, how visual search with moving objects is achieved and linking psychophysical performance to the known properties of cortical cells.
Grants
2019-2021. Australian Research Council Discovery Grant. DP190103103. David R. Badcock & Mark Edwards. How does human vision separately determine object and scene motion? $390, 000.
2011-2015. Australian Research Council Discovery Grant. DP110104553. David R. Badcock & Mark Edwards. Form and motion interactions in human motion perception. $582, 074
2009-2013 Australian Research Council Discovery Grant. DP0984558. Elinor McKone(QEII), Mark Edwards, & Anne Davies. Integrating holistic processing and facespace approaches to the perception of face identity. $475, 000.
2006-2011 Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Vision. Prof Trevor David Lamb, Prof Jon Stone, Prof Mandyam V Srinivasan, Dr Mark Edwards, Dr Michael Robert Ibbotson, Dr Andrew Charles James, A/Prof Teddy Lee Maddess, A/Prof Ian George Morgan, A/Prof Jan Marie Provis, Dr Krisztina Valter-Kocsi, A/Prof Jochen Zeil, Dr Shao-wu Zhang, Prof Dao-Yi Yu, Dr Stephen John Cringle, Prof David Ian Vaney, Prof Bogdan Dreher, Prof Silvia Bisti, Dr Peter Ian Corke, Prof Dr Martin Egelhaaf, Prof Dario Floreano, Dr Russell D Hamer, Mr Ben Meek, Dr Michael Mustari, Prof Yoshnori Nagai, Dr Hans Simo Vanni, Prof Johannes Martin Zanker, Prof Alexander Zelinsky. $10,000,000.
2005 - 2007 Australian Research Council Discovery Grant DP0558816. Mark Edwards. Role of form information in motion processing. $117, 000.
2004 – 2009 Australian Research Council Discovery Grant. DP0450636 Elinor McKone (QEII), Mark Edwards & Nancy Kanwisher. Special cognitive processing for faces: expertise effects and links to neural mechanisms. $540,000
Groups
- Researcher, Vision Cognition
77. Goodhew, S.C., Dawel, A., & Edwards, M. (2020). Standardizing measurement in psychological studies: On why one second has different value in a sprint versus a marathon. Behavior Research Methods.In Press.
76. Lawrence, R.K., Talipski, L.A., Edwards, M., & Goodhew, S.C. (2020). A critical review of the cognitive and perceptual factors influencing attentional scaling and visual processing. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.In press
75. Proud, M., Goodhew, S.C. & Edwards, M. (2020). A vigilance avoidance account of spatial-selectivity in dual-stream emotion-induced-blindness. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.In press
74. Lawrence, R.K., Edwards, M., & Goodhew, S.C. (2020). The impact of scaling rather than shaping attention: Changes in the scale of attention using global motion inducers influence both spatial and temporal acuity. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.46(3), 313-323.
73. Lawrence, R.K., Edwards, M., Choong, C.W., Cox, J.A., & Goodhew, S.C. (2020). Does Cultural Background Predict the Spatial Distribution of Attention? Culture and Brain,In Press.
72. Goodhew, S.C., & Edwards, M. (2019). Translating experimental paradigms into individual-differences research: Contributions, challenges, and practical recommendations. Consciousness and Cognition, 69, 14-25.
71. Lawrence, R.K., Edwards, M., & Goodhew, S.C. (2018). Changes in the spatial spread of attention with ageing. Acta Psychologica,188, 188-199.
70. Rideaux, R., & Edwards, M. (2018). Parallel consolidation into visual working memory results in reduced precision representations. Vision Research, 149, 24-29.
69. Corke, M., Bell, J., Goodhew, S.C., Smithson., M., & Edwards., M. (2018). Perceived time slows during fleeting fun or fear. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 71(2):562-567
68. Goodhew, S.C., Lawrence, R.K., & Edwards, M. (2017). Testing the generality of the zoom-lens model: Evidence for visual-pathway specific effects of attended-region size on perception. Attention, Perception & Psychophysics79:1147-64.
67. Goodhew, S.C. & Edwards, M. (2017). Objects but not concepts modulate the size of the attended region. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology,70(7):1353-1365
66. Goodhew, S.C. & Edwards, M. (2016). Object individuation is invariant to attentional diffusion: Changes in the size of the attended region do not interact with object-substitution masking. Cognition,157, 358-364
65. Rideaux, R., Badcock, D.R., Johnston, A. & Edwards, M. (2016). Temporal synchrony is an effective cue for grouping and segmentation in the absence of form cues. Journal of Vision,16(11):23, 1-12.
64. Rideaux, R., & Edwards, M. (2016). The cost of parallel consolidation into visual working memory. Journal of Vision, In Press
63. Goodhew, S.C., Greenwood, J.A., & Edwards, M. (2016). Categorical information influences conscious perception: An interaction between object-substitution masking and repetition blindness. Attention, Perception & Psychophysics. In Press Accepted 5/02/2016.
62. Goodhew, S.C., Shen, Elizabeth, & Edwards, M. (2016). Selective spatial enhancement: Attentional spotlight size impacts spatial but not temporal perception. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. In Press (accepted 10/07/2015)
61. Tang, M.F., Dickinson, E., Visser, T.A.W., Edwards, M., & Badcock, D.R. (2015). The role of form information in motion pooling and segmentation. Journal of Vision, 15(15):19, 1-18.
60. Goodhew, S.C., Edwards, M., Ferber, S., & Pratt, J. (2015). Altered visual perception near the hands: A critical review of attentional and neurophysiological models. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 223-233.
59. Goodhew, S.C., Freire, M., & Edwards, M. (2015). Enhanced semantic priming in synaesthetes independent of sensory binding. Consciousness and Cognition, (33) 443-456.
58. Rideaux, R., Apthorp, D. & Edwards, M. (2015). Evidence for parallel consolidation of motion and orientation into visual short-term memory. Journal of Vision. 15 (2): 17, 1-12.
57. Bell, J., Manson, A., Edwards, M., & Meso, A.I. (2015). Numerosity and density judgments: bias for area but not for volume. Journal of Vision. 15 (2) 18, 1-14.
56. Goodhew, S.C., Boal, H.L., Edwards, M., & Bell, B. (2015). Two objects or one? Similarity rather than complexity determines objecthood when resolving dynamic input. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 41(1) 102-110.
55. White, C., Edwards, M., Brown, J., & Bell, J. (2014). The impact of recreational MDMA “ecstasy” use on global form processing. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 28(11), 1018-1029.
54. White, C., Brown, J., & Edwards, M. (2014). Alterations to global but not local motion processing in long-term ecstasy (MDMA) users. Psychopharmacology, 231(13) 2611-2622.
53. Goodhew, S.C., Boal, H.L., & Edwards, M. (2014). A magnocellular contribution to conscious perception via temporal object segmentation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 40(3), 948-959.
52. Rideaux, R., & Edwards, M. (2014). Information extraction during simultaneous motion processing. Vision Research, 95, 1-10.
51. White, C., Brown, J., & Edwards, M. (2013). Altered Visual Perception in Long-Term Ecstasy (MDMA) Users. Psychopharmacology. 229(1), 155-165.
50. Tang, M.F., Dickinson, E., Visser, T.A.W., Edwards, M., & Badcock, D.R. (2013). The Shape of Motion Perception: Global Pooling of Transformational Apparent Motion (2013). Journal of Vision, 13(13) 1-20.
49. Edwards, M., Cassanello, C., Badcock, D.R., & Nishida, S. (2013). Effect of form cues on 1D and 2D motion pooling. Vision Research, 76, 94-104.
48. Edwards, M., & Rideaux, R. (2013). How many motion signals can be simultaneously perceived? Vision Research, 76, 11-16.
47. Dennett, H.W., Edwards, M., & McKone, E. (2012). Global face distortion aftereffects tap face-specific and shape-generic processes. Journal of Vision, 12(11), 1-20.
46. Edwards, M., Cassanello, C., & Kalia, K. (2012). Adaptation state of the local-motion-pooling units determines the nature of motion aftereffect to transparent motion. Vision Research, 64, 23-25.
45. Dennett, H.W., McKone, E., & Edwards, M., (2012) Face aftereffects predict individual differences in face recognition ability, Psychological Science, 23(11) 1279-1287.
44. Dennett, H.W., McKone, E., Tavashmi, R., Hall, A., Pidcock, M., Edwards, M., & Duchaine, B. (2012). The Cambridge Car Memory Test: A task matched in format to the Cambridge Face Memory Test, with norms, reliability, sex differences, dissociations from face memory, and expertise effects. Behavior Research Methods, 44(2) 587-605.
43. Cassanello, C., Edwards, M., Badcock, D.R. & Nishida, S. (2011). No interaction of first- and second-order signals in the extraction of global motion and optic-flow. Vision Research, 51, 352-361.
42. Edwards, M., O’Mahony, S., Ibbotson, M.R., Kohlhagen, S. (2010). Vestibular stimulation affects optic-flow sensitivity. Perception, 30, 1303-1310.
41. Susilo, T., McKone, E., & Edwards, M. (2010). Solving the upside-down puzzle: Why do upright and inverted face aftereffects look alike? Journal of Vision, 10(13), 1-16.
40. Edwards, M., & Metcalf, O. (2010). Independence in the processing of first- and second-order motion signals at the local-motion-pooling level. Vision Research, 261-270.
39. Susilo, T., McKone, E., & Edwards, M. (2010). What shape are the neural responses functions underlying opponent coding in face space? A psychophysical investigation. Vision Research, 300-314.
38. Amano, K., Edwards, M., Badcock, D.R., & Nishida, S. (2009). Spatial-frequency tuning in the pooling of one- and two-dimensional motion signals. Vision Research, 49, 2862-2869.
37. Edwards, M. (2009). Common-fate motion processing: Interaction of the On and Off pathways. Vision Research, 49, 429-438.
36. Amano, K., Edwards, M., Badcock, D.R., & Nishida, S. (2009). Adaptive pooling of visual motion signals by the human visual system revealed with a novel multi-element stimulus. Journal of Vision, 9(3) 4:1-25.
35. Greenwood, J.A., & Edwards, M. (2009). The detection of multiple global directions: Capacity limits with spatially segregated and transparent motion signals. Journal of Vision, 9(1) 40: 1-15.
34. Brown, J., Edwards, M., Ward, J., & McKone, E. (2007). A long-term ecstasy-related change in visual perception. Psychopharmacology, Vol 193 (3) 437-446.
33. Greenwood, J.A., & Edwards, M. (2007). An oblique effect for transparent-motion detection caused by variation in global-motion direction-tuning bandwidths. Vision Research, 47, 1411-1423.
32. Edwards, M., & Crane, M.F. (2007). Motion streaks improve motion detection. Vision Research, 47, 828-833.
31. Robbins, R., McKone, E., & Edwards, M. (2007). Aftereffects for face Attributes with different natural variability: adaptor position effects and neural models. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 33(3), 570-592.
30. Edwards, M. & Ibbotson, M.R. (2007). Sensitivity to large-field optic-flow: Relative sensitivities to different directions and speeds. Perception, 36(1), 113-124.
28. Greenwood, J.A. & Edwards, M. (2006). Pushing the limits of transparent-motion detection with binocular disparity. Vision Research, 46, 2615-2624.
27. Greenwood, J.A. & Edwards, M. (2006). An extension of the transparent-motion detection limit using speed-tuned global-motion systems. Vision Research, 46, 1440-1449.
26. McKone, E., Aitkin, A., & Edwards, M. (2005). Categorical and coordinate relations in faces, or is it Fechner’s Law and face space instead? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 31(6), 1181-1198.
25. Edwards, M., & Greenwood, J.A. (2005). The perception of motion transparency: A signal-to-noise limit. Vision Research, 45, 1877-1884.
24. Edwards, M., & Nishida, S. (2004). Contrast reversing global motion stimuli reveal local interactions between first and second-order motion signals. Vision Research, 44, 1941-1950.
23. Edwards, M., & Badcock, D.R. (2003). Motion distorts perceived depth. Vision Research, 43, 1799-1804.
22. Trewhella, J., Edwards, M., & Ibbotson, M.R. (2003). Sensitivity to the acceleration of looming stimuli. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 31(3), 258-261.
21. Zhang, Z., Edwards, M. & Schor, C.M. (2001). Spatial interactions minimize relative disparity between adjacent surfaces. Vision Research, 41, 2995-300.
20. Schor, C.S., Edwards, M., & Sato, M. (2001). Envelope size tuning for stereo-depth perception of small and large disparities. Vision Research, 41, 2555-2567.
19. Sato, M., Edwards, M., & Schor, C.M. (2001). Envelope size-tuning for transient disparity vergence. Vision Research, 41, 1695-1707.
18. Edwards, M., Pope, D.R., & Schor, C.M. (2000). First- and second-order processing in transient stereopsis. Vision Research, 40, 2645-2652.
17. Edwards, M. & Schor, C.M. (1999). Depth aliasing by the transient stereo-system. Vision Research, 39, 4333-4340.
16. Pope, D.R., Edwards, M. & Schor, C.M. (1999). Extraction of depth from opposite-contrast stimuli: Transient system can, sustained system can't. Vision Research, 39, 4010-4017.
15. Edwards, M., & Nishida, S. (1999). Global-motion perception with transparent motion signals. Vision Research, 39, 2239-2249.
14. Edwards, M., Pope, D.R., & Schor, C.M. (1999). Orientation tuning of the transient-stereopsis system. Vision Research, 39, 2717-2727.
13. Pope, D.R., Edwards, M. & Schor, C.M. (1999). Orientation and luminance polarity tuning of the transient-vergence system. Vision Research, 39, 575-584.
12. Schor, C.M., Edwards, M. & Pope, D.R. (1998). Spatial-frequency tuning of the transient-stereopsis system. Vision Research, 38, 3057-3068.
11. Edwards, M. & Badcock, D.R. (1998). Global-motion signal-discrimination performance. Vision Research, 38, 3051-3056.
10. Edwards, M., Badcock, D.R. & Smith, A.T. (1998). Independent speed-tuned global-motion systems. Vision Research, 38, 1573-1580.
9. Edwards, M., Pope, D.R. & Schor, C.M. (1998). Luminance-contrast and spatial-frequency tuning of the transient-vergence system. Vision Research, 38, 705-717.
8. Nishida, S., Ledgeway, T. & Edwards, M. (1997). Dual multiple-scalar processing for motion in the human visual system. Vision Research. 37, 2685-2695.
7. Nishida, S., Edwards, M., & Sato, T. (1997). Simultaneous motion contrast across space: Involvement of second-order motion? Vision Research, 37, 199-214.
6. Edwards, M., & Badcock, D.R. (1996). Global motion perception: Interaction of colour and luminance inputs. Vision Research, 36, 2423-2432.
5. Edwards, M., Badcock, D.R., & Nishida, S. (1996). Contrast sensitivity of the motion system. Vision Research, 36, 2411-2422.
4. Edwards, M., & Badcock, D.R. (1995). Global motion perception: No interaction between the first- and second-order motion pathways. Vision Research, 35, 2589-2602.
3. Edwards, M., & Badcock, D.R. (1994). Global motion perception: Interaction of the On and Off pathways. Vision Research, 34, 2849-2858.
2. Edwards, M., & Badcock, D.R. (1993). Asymmetries in the sensitivity to motion in depth: A centripetal bias. Perception, 22, 1013-1023.
1. Stuart, G.W., Edwards, M., & Cook, M.L. (1992). Colour inputs to random-dot stereopsis. Perception, 21, 717-729.
