Disambiguating ambiguous figures by a model of selective attention

Abstract

Ambiguous figures are visual stimuli which are interpreted multiply by the human visual system. A model is proposed which disambiguates the ambiguous figures. The model was formulated based on the characteristics of visual information processing, accompanied with selective attention. In the ambiguous figure "my husband and my father-in-law", it was necessary to simulate visual information processing so that attention was directed to the multiple features in the figure to disambiguate the ambiguous figure. Pictures, obtained from the model, were examined as to whether they were interpreted unambiguously or not. Results show that the model, simulated selective attention, can disambiguate the ambiguous figures. This suggests that the image per se, viewed through selective attention, becomes unambiguous before the figure is interpreted in the higher level. Results also show that the computer simulation of selective attention would make it possible to examine factors affecting the initial interpretation of the figure.

Overt Visual Attention as a Causal Factor of Perceptual Awareness

“…This robust effect, which is in line with earlier studies emphasizing the importance of local features in fixed eye-position setups [6], [7], [16], [23], is quite remarkable because the subjects were allowed to freely move their eyes as soon as the stimulus appeared.…”

“…Compared to earlier studies, which either forced the subjects' view onto a specified position during the complete trial [6], or which directly manipulated the stimuli in order to bias the perception towards one or the other outcome [22], this manipulation is very subtle and allows for very natural viewing behavior on the stimuli.…”

“…Because both substantially contribute to our everyday experience of the world, they have moved into the center of scientific interest. Although there is evidence for their interconnection on a behavioral level [1], [2], the two phenomena were recently shown to rely on distinct neuronal mechanisms [3], [4], and are most often investigated in isolation [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]. As a result, the exact roles and temporal dynamics governing the interplay of the two processes remain unclear.…”

Perceptual Reversal Guided by Integration Between Bottom-Up Input and Top-Down Feedback Over Time Course

“…An interesting question brought up by Kawabata and Mori (1992) concerns initiation of a percept from viewing an ambiguous picture. Fixating on a part of an image-e.g., the beak or the mouth in the duck-rabbit picture-activates an interpretation.…”

“…Resent approaches to perceptual reversal emphasize the role of selective attention (Craft, Schütze, Niebur, & von der Heydt, 2007;Kawabata & Mori, 1992) and temporal synchrony of neuronal response (Atmanspacher, Bach, Filk, Kornmeier, & Römer, 2008;Ciszak, Euzzor, Farini, Arecchi, & Meucci, 2012). According to the selective attentionbased approach, the parts of an object have different levels of importance.…”