A bias for looming stimuli to predominate in binocular rivalry

Abstract

Concentric gratings that expand outwards are seen for a greater period of time relative to contracting gratings when engaged in binocular rivalry. During binocular rivalry (BR), which is a fluctuation in visual awareness between different images presented separately to each eye, equivalent images tend to be seen in equal proportion over the observation period. When one eye’s image is particularly salient, brighter, or moving, this equality is curtailed, and the stronger image predominates. Here a specific direction of motion is found to predominate over another of equal speed. This tendency is consistent with the ability of looming objects to orient attention, coupled with previous accounts of the role of stimulus-driven attention in BR.