title: Dissecting perceptual processes with a new tri-stable reversible figure.
abstract: Five experiments are presented that examine observers' reports with a new tri-stable reversible figure using two measures of observers' experience with the figure: observers' initial percept upon figure presentation in the test period and the total number of reversals reported in the test period. Experiment 1 demonstrates the equiprobability of the three alternatives for the figure. Experiment 2 demonstrates the powerful effect of fixation location on observers' reported organization of the tri-stable figure. Experiment 3 demonstrates clear priming effects following brief presentation of particular components of the tri-stable figure. Experiment 4 demonstrates clear adaptation effects following prolonged presentation of the same components of the figure used in experiment 3 as well as the transient nature of this adaptation. Experiment 5 demonstrates observers' ability to "hold" each of the three percepts regardless of fixation location. The special sensitivity of the tri-stable figure to these manipulations even with naive subjects and small sample sizes is discussed, and the interplay of both bottom-up and top-down processes on figural reversal is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA. gerald.long@villanova.edu
authors.forename: Gerald M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Jared M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Batterman
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D003463:Cues; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009903:Optical Illusions; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D014836:Volition