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Determinants involved in the perception of the necker cube: An application of catastrophe theory
Author(s) -
Ta'edd Latha K.,
Ta'eed O.,
Wright J. E.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 0005-7940
DOI - 10.1002/bs.3830330203
Subject(s) - perception , perspective (graphical) , bistability , cube (algebra) , catastrophe theory , psychology , visual perception , stimulus (psychology) , cognitive psychology , shading , social psychology , computer science , mathematics , artificial intelligence , engineering , physics , neuroscience , computer graphics (images) , geotechnical engineering , quantum mechanics , combinatorics
The study is concerned with evaluating interactions at the organic level within the visual perception subsystem of living systems. The reported work focuses on the identification of some of the determinants of multistable perceptin by experimentally testing a nonlinear dynamical systems (catastrophe) model of the Necker Cube. This technique serves as an advantage over linear threshold models which cannot effectively study multivalued functional relationships. It was proposed that manipulation of two independent control paprameters (bias or changing shape by continuously varying perspective lines and selective stimulus shading) was compatible with the subjetive dichotomy of bistable perception of the Necker cube. One hundred and twenty naive subjects, categorized by age, sex, and optical aids, were presented with a computer generated sequence of 63 stimuli (7 shading levels 9 perspective levels) to which they had to respond as to whether they saw a “hollow” or “solid” image. The work revealed that bias and shading exerted their effects in opposition and that each influenced the other. Both were decisive factors involved in the perception of the cube. Thes findings are supported by topologica and psychological evidence.