title: The linear impact of concurrent working memory load on dynamics of Necker cube perceptual reversals.
abstract: Ambiguous figures are visual stimuli that may be perceived in multistable interpretations. The role of attention in modulating perceptual reversals of ambiguous stimuli is not clear. We tested whether perceptual reversals depend on working memory by manipulating its load while the participants were viewing the Necker cube. Increasing working memory load delayed the latency and decreased the frequency of reversals. These effects followed a linear function of load. The findings imply shared resources of the mechanisms responsible for perceptual reversals and working memory maintenance. However, reversals were not completely abolished even with the hard seven-consonants load, suggesting that bottom-up processes continue to operate in the bistable perception dynamics when top-down mechanisms are attenuated.
authors.affiliation: Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, IBILI, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Intaite
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koivisto
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelo-Branco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009903:Optical Illusions / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Necker cube; ambiguous figures; bottom-up; top-down; visual perception; working memory load