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The Certainty of Ambiguity in Visual Neural Representations
Jan W Brascamp1, Steven K Shevell2
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA;
Annual Review of Vision Science
|September 15, 2021
Summary
Visual perception involves pervasive ambiguity, not just in rare ambiguous images. Resolving this implicit ambiguity is a fundamental process shaping our everyday visual experience.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Vision Science
Background:
- Bistable percepts, like the Necker Cube, demonstrate how visual stimuli can yield alternating perceptions.
- Historically, these phenomena were seen as curiosities highlighting perceptual interpretation.
- Ambiguity in visual perception has been studied for over 150 years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pervasive nature of implicit ambiguity in visual neural representations.
- To explore the causes and historical perspectives of visual ambiguity.
- To discuss modern theories on resolving perceptual ambiguity.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of historical and contemporary research on visual bistability and ambiguity.
- Synthesis of theories on perceptual interpretation and ambiguity resolution.
- Analysis of the role of ambiguity in natural vision.
Main Results:
- Ambiguity is not limited to contrived stimuli but is a pervasive feature of visual neural representations.
- Resolving implicit ambiguity is a fundamental and ubiquitous process in vision.
- Understanding ambiguity resolution is key to understanding normal vision.
Conclusions:
- The study of visual ambiguity offers profound insights into the fundamental mechanisms of vision.
- Implicit ambiguity and its resolution are central to everyday visual experience.
- Further research into ambiguity resolution can advance our understanding of visual processing.
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