Volume 5, Number 11, Article 6, Pages 1004-1012 doi:10.1167/5.11.6 http://journalofvision.org/5/11/6/ ISSN 1534-7362
Endogenous attention prolongs dominance durations in binocular rivalry
Sang Chul Chong
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA, & Graduate Program in Cognitive Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
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Duje Tadin
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Randolph Blake
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Abstract

We investigated the effects of attention on dominance durations during binocular rivalry. In a series of three experiments, observers performed several tasks while viewing rival stimuli to ensure and control deployment of attention. We found that endogenous attention can prolong dominance durations of attended stimulus. We developed a novel single-task procedure where observer's responses in an attentional task were used to objectively estimate dominance durations of the attended stimulus. Using this procedure, we showed that paying attention to the stimulus features involved in rivalry is necessary for prolonging dominance durations—mere engagement of attention during rivalry was insufficient. Finally, we were able to simulate the effects of endogenous attention by doubling the contrast of the attended stimulus while it was dominant. Attention may increase the apparent contrast of the attended stimulus, thereby prolonging its dominance duration. Overall, our results indicate that dominance durations in rivalry can be prolonged when observers are performing an attentionally demanding task on the rival stimulus.

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History
Received July 8, 2005; published December 28, 2005
Citation
Chong, S. C., Tadin, D., & Blake, R. (2005). Endogenous attention prolongs dominance durations in binocular rivalry. Journal of Vision, 5(11):6, 1004-1012, http://journalofvision.org/5/11/6/, doi:10.1167/5.11.6.
Keywords
attention, binocular rivalry, contrast enhancement, dominance duration
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