title: Attribute pair-based visual recognition and memory.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the human visual system, different attributes of an object, such as shape, color, and motion, are processed separately in different areas of the brain. This raises a fundamental question of how are these attributes integrated to produce a unified perception and a specific response. This "binding problem" is computationally difficult because all attributes are assumed to be bound together to form a single object representation. However, there is no firm evidence to confirm that such representations exist for general objects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we propose a paired-attribute model in which cognitive processes are based on multiple representations of paired attributes. In line with the model's prediction, we found that multiattribute stimuli can produce an illusory perception of a multiattribute object arising from erroneous integration of attribute pairs, implying that object recognition is based on parallel perception of paired attributes. Moreover, in a change-detection task, a feature change in a single attribute frequently caused an illusory perception of change in another attribute, suggesting that multiple pairs of attributes are stored in memory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The paired-attribute model can account for some novel illusions and controversial findings on binocular rivalry and short-term memory. Our results suggest that many cognitive processes are performed at the level of paired attributes rather than integrated objects, which greatly facilitates the binding problem and provides simpler solutions for it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intelligent Interaction Technology, Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. mor@bcl.esys.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Shigemitsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morokami
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005556:Form Perception; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011939:Mental Recall; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012858:Size Perception; D015348:Vision, Binocular; D014785:Vision, Ocular