Eye-specific information biases perceived direction of bistable motion

Abstract

While eye-of origin information is normally not accessible to observers, processing of visual information within a monocular channel does contribute to our final percept. Here we investigate if visual information is processed more efficiently when it is contained within a monocular channel or across two eyes and how it affects visual perception. Specifically, we used a bistable apparent motion display, a motion quartet, to investigate the role of eye-specific information in determining perceived motion direction. To an observer, this ambiguous display leads to the perception of either horizontal or vertical motion. We attempted to bias perceived direction by presenting separate spatial halves of the motion quartet to each eye. Our results show that observers were more likely to see horizontal motion when top and bottom halves of the quartet was presented to separate eyes. Similarly, when left and right halves were presented dichoptically, observers reported viewing more vertical motion. This change in proportion of observed motion direction indicates that eye specific information is processed more efficiently and can bias overall perception.