Characteristics of bistable perception of images with monocular depth cues D Podvigina |
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Laboratory of Physiology of Vision, I.P. Pavlov Insitute of Physiology of RAS, Russian Federation
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| Visual system uses a number of monocular depth cues to perceive 3D space. We have studied the characteristics of bistable perception of the images with two types of monocular depth cues (perspective and shadowing): one is a matrix of 9 Necker cubes, another one contents lines of shadowed circles ambiguously perceived either as spheres or as holes. The results show a great similarity in temporal characteristics of bistable perception of both images, which implies top-down influences upon bistable perception process. We have also analyzed neurophysiological data concerning a property of cat LGN neurons – their sensitivity to brightness gradient orientation (Podvigin et al., 2001 Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology 31(6), 657-668). LGN neurons were tested with the same stimulus as we used in our psychophysical experiments – a shadowed circle. The results of the analysis show the correlation between neurophysiological data and psychophysical observations. Thus the process of bistable perception of the images with monocular depth cues (such as shadowing) is likely to be based on the information from LGN neurons sensitive to brightness gradient orientation, though the final decision on what we see is apparently a result of top-down influences. |
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