Abstract
Purpose: The targets of Motion-Induced Blindness (MIB) are generally small in size. We investigate the disappearance of the large target figure whose diameter subtends 14 degree at the periphery of 14 degree. We devised the novel inducing stimuli that repeated the transilient change while smooth alteration. We coined the disappearance Transilience Induced Blindness (TIB). The results suggested the luminance contrast asymmetry and orientation anisotropy. The textured patterns would also slip away from our consciousness.
Methods: Experiment1: At the upper and lower 14 degree eccentric positions, the 2 yellow filled circles were presented for the targets. At the concentric positions the unfilled blue circles which repeatedly shrank smoothly from 22 degree to 18 degree in one second and jumped back to 22 degree. Experiment2: The inducing unfilled circles were stationary of 28 degree diameter which altered the luminance from white to black in 3 seconds and jump back to white. Some other variants of target figures were investigated.
Results: The subjects reported the disappearence of the targets and suggested an anisotropy that targets at vertical meridian positions were preferable to the horizontal arrangements. The luminance contrast had also an asymmetry such that the brighter target on the darker background condition was preferable to the opposites. The concentric circles or radial line segments were also disappeared. TIB needed the steady adaptation. If the targets even slowly moved or changed colors or size at the moments of tansiliences, TIB was readily destroyed. The transilience could lead a conjecture that the mechanisms of TIB would includes the interactions between time domain gain control delay and the stationary boarder detectors.
Conclusions: The targets either upper or lower, or both were disappeared spontaneously after a several second adaptations as fixating the screen center. The disappearances were transient and synchronized to the inducer transiliences.