ATTENTIONAL EFFECTS ON NECKER CUBE ADAPTATION

If subjects adapt to an unambiguous version of a Necker cube, a subseq uent ambiguous cube tends to be seen in the opposing perspective. The present experiment shows that this adaptation effect depends on whethe r the adapting cube is attended. During the adaptation phase, subjects saw two superimposed cubes of opposite perspective and different size s and colors centered on fixation. Subjects detected color changes in line segments that defined either the small or large cube. The percept ion of the subsequent ambiguous cube depended on which of the adapting cubes was task relevant. This attentional effect showed a strong asym metry. When subjects attended to the small adapting cube, an aftereffe ct appropriate to the perspective of the cube was found, but when the large adapting cube was attended, no aftereffect was present. This asy mmetry may relate to constraints on the spatial distribution of attent ion.