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A statistical model for binocular rivalry
Author(s) -
Ven Ad H. G. S.,
Gremmen Frans M.,
Smit Jan C.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
british journal of mathematical and statistical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.157
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 2044-8317
pISSN - 0007-1102
DOI - 10.1348/000711005x38708
Subject(s) - binocular rivalry , econometrics , computer science , statistics , mathematics , psychology , visual perception , neuroscience , perception
A probabilistic model is presented for the phase durations in binocular rivalry experiments. The hypothetical construct of inhibition or reaction inhibition is used to account for the length of the successive phases of left‐eye dominance and right‐eye dominance. In accordance with Hull's Postulate X.B. it is assumed that the inhibition increases linearly at rate a 1 during periods of left‐eye dominance and decreases linearly at rate a 0 during periods of right‐eye dominance. Two different versions of the proposed model are presented: the beta and the Bessel inhibition models. Inhibition fluctuates between the boundaries 0 and 1 in the beta inhibition model and between −∞ and +∞ in the Bessel inhibition model. The transition rates λ 1 ( t ) for switches from a state of left‐eye dominance to a state of right‐eye dominance, and λ 0 ( t ) for switches from a state of right‐eye dominance to a state of left‐eye dominance depend on inhibition: , , where l 1 is a non‐decreasing function and l 0 is a non‐increasing function. In the beta inhibition model and . In the Bessel inhibition model and . Special attention is given to the derivation of the expectation of the stationary phase durations.