Early views on binocular rivalry
Nicholas J. Wade, Trung T. Ngo
Advances in Consciousness Research August 28, 2013 DOI: 10.1075/aicr.90.04wad (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that binocular rivalry was observed and investigated centuries before the 19th-century work usually credited with founding the field, and that early notions of attention and consciousness applied to rivalry anticipate current research distinguishing brain activity mediating rivaling perceptual states from that underlying visual stimulation. |
Abstract
Contributions from 19th Century scholars to binocular rivalry research are well recognized, however, observations concerning the phenomenon commenced centuries earlier and suggest a rich seam of research that is much less well known. This chapter discusses these early investigations, along with conflicting views and observations thereafter. We also discuss the early application of notions of attention and consciousness to rivalry. Such notions have more recently been the subject of concerted investigation into distinguishing brain activity mediating the rivalling states from that underlying visual stimulation. Observations in the literature that preceded this key principle are discussed. We also trace the rivalry studies that followed and note their relevance to current thinking on the phenomenon.