Abstract
Binocular rivalry occurs when incompatible images are presented simultaneously but separately to each eye. Perceptual dominance reverses over time such that one image temporarily dominates perception, while the other image is suppressed. Prior research has shown that presenting brief probes to the suppressed eye can cause a rapid switch in perceptual dominance. Previously we have shown that these switches are likely mediated by a reallocation of attention to either the suppressed eye or the suppressed object (Metzger et al., VSS 2014). Here we ask whether the probe is drawing attention to the object or the eye by placing the probe either on or off the object. Rivalry was induced using oval-shaped faces and textures. Probes were presented with equal probability on top of, or outside of, suppressed or dominant objects. Eccentricity of the probe was matched across conditions. We replicate previous results showing that suppressed-eye probes accelerate reversals relative to dominant-eye probes; median dominance durations were 2034 ms. for suppressed-eye probes and 2445 ms. for dominant-eye probes. Critically, however, suppressed-eye probes presented on the object produce significantly faster reversals (median = 1866 ms.) than suppressed-eye probes presented off the object (median = 2197 ms.), suggesting that drawing attention to the suppressed object is more important than drawing attention to the suppressed eye. Coupled with our earlier data we conclude that reversals are more likely to occur (i.e. reversal rates increase) when suppressed-eye probes draw attention to the suppressed object.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015