Ambiguity is a linking feature for interocular grouping.

Abstract

Ambiguity is implicit in neural representations of the physical world. Previous work has examined how the visual system resolves ambiguous neural signals that represent various features, such as the percept resulting from rivalrous chromaticities or forms. Relatively little is known, however, about the contribution of unambiguous neural representations to perceptual resolution of ambiguous ones. This is addressed here by measuring perceptual resolution of ambiguity by grouping, which is operationalized as the tendency for multiple similar ambiguous representations to be seen as identical to each other. Multiple chromatically ambiguous representations were created using interocular switch rivalry and presented together with a nearby but separate unambiguous (non-rivalrous) chromaticity. The magnitude of grouping the chromatic regions was compared when ambiguous regions were seen alone versus with unambiguous regions seen simultaneously. Contrary to prevailing theory that the resolution of the ambiguous percepts would follow the unambiguous ones, the ambiguous chromatic regions consistently appeared identical to each other, but their appearance was not found to be attracted to the unambiguous color percept. This supports the proposition that the ambiguity itself in a neural representation is a linking feature contributing to perceptual disambiguation.