How to keep a reversible figure from reversing: teasing out top-down and bottom-up processes.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Visual Perception

Background:

• Perception of ambiguous figures, like the Necker cube, involves dynamic neural processes.
• Understanding these processes requires investigating how prior visual experiences alter perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of prior exposure conditions on the perception of figural reversal in ambiguous figures.
• To differentiate between transient and stable neural processes influencing visual perception.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Adaptation to an unambiguous Necker cube followed by presentation of an ambiguous figure, with variations in delay and figure size.
• Experiment 2: Priming with an unambiguous figure before presenting an ambiguous figure, with variations in delay and figure size.

Main Results:

• Adaptation induced a transient reverse bias, dependent on figure size and immediate presentation.
• Priming resulted in a stable positive bias, unaffected by delay or figure size.
• Findings suggest distinct roles for transient, retinally localized, and stable, global neural processes.

Conclusions:

• Prior visual exposure significantly modulates the perception of ambiguous figures.
• Transient neural processes are involved in short-term adaptation effects.
• Stable neural processes contribute to longer-lasting priming effects in visual perception.