Abstract
Binocular rivalry arises when incompatible patterns of stimuli were dichoptically presented. Previously, we found that spatial attention is necessary for dichoptic images to be engaged in sustained rivalry (Zhang et al, 2011). The current study examined whether binocular rivalry can be induced from stimuli with invisible spatial patterns. Counterphase flickering red/green chromatic gratings were adopted as stimuli. At 30Hz flickering frequency, the red/green gratings were perceived as stable uniform yellow. In experiment 1, following adaptation to an invisible chromatic grating, observers perceived a significant tilt after effect and also had an orientation-specific detection threshold elevation. In experiment 2, with one eye presented with a low contrast static red/green grating, the fellow eye was presented with, all perceptually matched, either a invisible flickering red/green grating, flickering uniform red/green patches, or a static uniform yellow patch. Observers reported their perceptual experience using button presses: the low contrast grating, part of the grating, or uniform yellow. Result showed that the total duration for seeing the uniform yellow was slightly but significantly longer when the stimulus in the fellow eye was an invisible grating, compared to the other two control conditions without spatial pattern. Together these results show that the chromatic grating rendered invisible due to fast flicker can induce orientation-specific adaptation as well as enhance interocular competition.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2014