The Effect of Meaning on Binocular Rivalry

Abstract

Until very recently, studies of binocular rivalry paid little attention to the role of meaningful content in determining binocular resolution. It is true that when there is a sufficient difference between the stimulus-pattern presented to one eye and the stimulus-pattern presented simultaneously to the other eye, the pattern seen by the observer can be interpreted as being a function of the formal properties of the two stimuli presented (apart from the physiological condition of the eyes).' It has, however, recently been demonstrated that when the two monocular stimuli have definite meaningful content, what is seen by the observer is no longer a function merely of the formal stimulus-properties.