Interpreting the temporal dynamics of perceptual rivalries R Gallagher1, H Haggerty2, D H Arnold3 |
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1School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia |
| Perceptual rivalries are situations wherein the content of awareness alternates despite constant stimulation. For instance, in binocular rivalry awareness switches intermittently between stimuli presented to the right or left eye, such that only one image is seen at a time. In motion-induced blindness, typically salient static dots can seem to disappear when placed in close proximity to motion. One observation that has been used to argue for a common causal mechanism is that the dynamics of diverse perceptual rivalries can be similar on an individual basis. If, for example, a participant reports rapid changes during binocular rivalry, they are also likely to report rapid changes during motion-induced blindness. We assessed this relationship by also having people report on the visibility of unexpected physical stimuli (an intermittent gabor presented in noise). We find that the dynamics of perceptual rivalries are well predicted by the speed at which participants report seeing unexpected changes, and by the tendency to over- or under-report seeing unambiguous physical stimuli. We suggest that the dynamics of diverse forms of perceptual rivalry likely reflect subjective criteria used when reporting on the dynamics of unexpected changes, and thus do not provide strong evidence for a common causal mechanism. |
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