Volume 7, Number 14, Article 3, Pages 1-11 doi:10.1167/7.14.3 http://journalofvision.org/7/14/3/ ISSN 1534-7362
Dichoptic masking and binocular rivalry share common perceptual dynamics
Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel
Department Physics of Man, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
[home] [e-mail]
Raymond van Ee
Department Physics of Man, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
[home] [e-mail]
Casper J. Erkelens
Department Physics of Man, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
[home] [e-mail]
Abstract

Two of the strongest tools to manipulate visual awareness of potentially salient stimuli are binocular rivalry and dichoptic masking. Binocular rivalry is induced by presenting incompatible images to the two eyes over prolonged periods of time, leading to an alternating perception of the two images. Dichoptic masking is induced when two images are presented once in rapid succession, leading to the perception of just one of the images. Although these phenomena share some key characteristics, most notably the ability to erase from awareness potentially very salient stimuli, their relationship is poorly understood. We investigated the perceptual dynamics during long-lasting dynamic stimulation leading to binocular rivalry or dichoptic masking. We show that the perceptual dynamics during dichoptic masking conditions meet the classifiers used to classify a process as binocular rivalry; that is, (1) Levelt's 2nd proposition is obeyed; (2) perceptual dominance durations follow a gamma distribution; and (3) dominance durations are sequentially independent. We suggest that binocular rivalry and dichoptic masking may be mediated by the same inhibitory mechanisms.

View full-text

History
Received April 19, 2007; published November 21, 2007
Citation
van Boxtel, J. J. A., van Ee, R., & Erkelens, C. J. (2007). Dichoptic masking and binocular rivalry share common perceptual dynamics. Journal of Vision, 7(14):3, 1-11, http://journalofvision.org/7/14/3/, doi:10.1167/7.14.3.
Keywords
dichoptic masking, binocular rivalry, perceptual dynamics, bistability
Downloads
155 Total.
 
Search
for related articles by these authors
for papers that cite this paper
Get citation






jov