Understanding Dali's Slave Market with the Disappearing Bust of Voltaire: a case study in the scale information driving perception

Bonnar, L., Gosselin, F. and Schyns, P.G. (2002) Understanding Dali's Slave Market with the Disappearing Bust of Voltaire: a case study in the scale information driving perception. Perception, 31(6), pp. 683-691. (doi: 10.1068/p3276)

Abstract

A generic problem in vision is to know which information drives the perception of a stimulus. We address this problem in a case study that involves the perceptual reversal of an ambiguous image (here, Dali's painting the <i>Slave Market with the Disappearing Bust of Voltaire</i> 1940). In experiment 1, we use 'bubbles' (Gosselin and Schyns, 2001 Vision Research 41 2261 - 2271) to disambiguate the image and to determine the specific visual information that drives each possible perception (here, the nuns versus the bust of Voltaire). Experiment 2 validates that this information does determine the selective perception of the ambiguous image. We adapted the spatial-frequency channels of observers selectively to the information that mediates one of the two perceptions, to induce the opposite perception of the ambiguous image in a transfer phase. Together, the results suggest a method of revealing the visual information that drives perception.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Schyns, Professor Philippe
• Authors: Bonnar, L., Gosselin, F., and Schyns, P.G.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Psychology; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
• Journal Name: Perception
• ISSN: 0301-0066
• ISSN (Online): 1468-4233