This thesis is concerned with an investigation of
certain psychological and physiological processes
underlying perception and attention. In this context
binocular rivalry is selected for close investigation
since it has at different times been related to both
perception and attention. This relationship is demonstrated
by a series of investigations which show that the stimulus
that is currently non-dominant in rivalry is nevertheless
fully analysed. The nature of rivalry indicates that
two complementary visual systems contribute to perception
and attention. Whilst one system (superior colliculus -
posterior association cortex) is responsible for monitoring
unperceived/unattended information and initiating a shift
in attention, the other system (geniculo-striate cortex)
is concerned with currently perceived/attended information.
In the terminology of control theory, these two visual
systems contribute to feedforward and feedback control
respectively. The interaction between the two is considered
to be the correlate of conscious perception and attention,
reflecting the sampling of sensory information by a process
that matches this information against the expectations
based on a model of the world. Confirmation of a
number of predictions refines and further anchors the
theory to physiological mechanisms
