Exploratory MEG study of the illusory contour perception: positive and inverted effects

Elena Evina (), Dzerassa Goyaeva (), Platon Pronko () and Boris Chernyshev ()
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Elena Evina: National Research University Higher School of Economics. Laboratory of Cognitive Psychophysiology
Dzerassa Goyaeva: National Research University Higher School of Economics. Laboratory of Cognitive Psychophysiology
Platon Pronko: National Research University Higher School of Economics. Laboratory of Cognitive Psychophysiology
Boris Chernyshev: National Research University Higher School of Economics. Laboratory of Cognitive Psychophysiology, Head; National Research University Higher School of Economics. Department of Psychophysiology, Assistant Professor;

HSE Working papers from National Research University Higher School of Economics

Abstract: The illusory contour is one of the most often used models in studies of Gestalt perception. In our MEG study we observed the so-called illusory contour effect (IC-effect): the activity of nonprimary visual and associative cortical areas was increased during the 150-250 ms time window after a stimulus onset in response to illusory stimulus, compared with the control stimulus. In addition to the positive IC-effect, the inverted IC-effect was revealed for the first time in adults. In our study it was manifested during the 60-120 ms window after the onset of stimulus. The inverted IC-effect is an early decrease in the activity of the visual cortex in response to the illusory contour compared with the control stimulus. The mechanism of the inverted IC-effect is yet unclear. The “bottom-up” and “top-down” hypotheses of the origin of the inverted IC-effect are discussed.

Keywords: Gestalt perception; vision; illusory contour; MEG; Kanizsa figure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2013
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Published in WP BRP Series: Science, Psychology / PSY, January 2013, pages 1-32

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