Subjective contours and binocular rivalry suppression.
Binocular rivalry probably involves distributed neural processes, some responsible for dominance, others for suppression and still others for fluctuations in perception. Focusing on the suppression process, the present study asks whether neural events underlying rivalry suppression take place prior to, or subsequent to those underlying the synthesis of subjective contours. Specifically, we examined whether (i) a subjective contour could prematurely return a suppressed target to dominance and (ii) whether suppression of a Kanizsa-type inducer precludes the formation of a subjective contour. Suppression durations were not abbreviated by the subjective contour, but suppression did prevent the formation of a subjective contour. Evidently suppression precedes the synthesis of subjective contours in the visual processing hierarchy.
Sobel
Kenith V
KV
Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 301 Wilson Hall, Nashville, TN 37240, USA. k.sobel@vanderbilt.edu
Blake
Randolph
R
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011601:Psychophysics; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*