Are stereoacuity and binocular rivalry related?

Several lines of evidence suggest that the processes of excitation and inhibition associated with good stereoacuity may also underlie binocular rivalry, implying that performance on these two tasks could be related. To test this possibility, we measured stereoacuity and rivalry under similar stimulus conditions in 40 observers. To estimate stereoacuity, a two-alternative, forced-choice procedure was used, wherein observers determined which of two sinusoidal grating patterns appeared displaced in depth. To measure rivalry, observers reported the occurrences of exclusive right- and left-eye dominance; dominance durations and alternation rates were recorded. The results showed that stereoacuity was significantly correlated with binocular rivalry, suggesting that stereoacuity and rivalry may share, at least in part, common neural mechanisms.