Analyses first focused on the first experimental series. Three-way repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted with spatial frequency (SF) content and context as within-subject variables and refractive error as the between-subject variable. Our results showed that myopes were significantly better at localizing targets than emmetropes (refractive error, F[1;22] = 6.11;
P = 0.02167;
Fig. 4A ). All subjects made more errors when the spatial arrangement of scene elements was disturbed, or jumbled (context, F[1;22] = 189.43;
P < 0.0001;
Fig. 4B ). However, myopes were proportionally more disturbed by jumbling than emmetropes—that is, their performances with normal images were significantly more degraded by jumbling than were those of emmetropes (refractive error × context, F[1;22] = 9.01;
P = 0.00657). Overall correct responses rate gradually decreased as spatial frequencies were deleted from the spectrum by filtering (SF content, F[3;66] = 110.41;
P < 0.0001). Whatever the filtering level, performances systematically decreased as images were jumbled (context × SF content, F[3;66] = 0.68;
P = NS;
Fig. 5A ). Three-way interaction was close to significant (refractive error × context × SF content, F[3;66] = 2.46;
P = 0.07029). Considering only the normal images
(Fig. 5B) , our results showed that as the level of blur increased, myopes maintained better performance than emmetropes (refractive error, F[1;22] = 9.09;
P = 0.00637; refractive error × SF content, F[3;66] = 3.58;
P = 0.01839). However, when the images were jumbled
(Fig. 5C) , no statistical difference was found between the groups, whatever the filtering level (refractive error, F[1;22] = 0.65;
P = NS; refractive error × SF content, F[3;66] = 0.39;
P= NS).