Representations of Visual Motion Information: Interpretation of Background Visual Motion in the Motion-Induced Blindness Phenomenon

This thesis investigates different interpretations of visual background motion with regards to the visual awareness of objects. Motion-induced blindness (MIB) is a phenomenon in which stimuli superimposed on a moving background spontaneously disappear. Does MIB depend on how background motion is interpreted? York Universitys Tumbling Room is a full-size room that rotates around an observer. Within this room, the disappearance of static targets (MIB) was measured under two interpretations of background motion: 1) perceived self-motion 2) external motion. The speed of the room, eccentricity of targets, and physical self-motion were also manipulated. Visual background motion that induced the sensation of self-motion, regardless of whether it was illusory or physical rotation unlike when background motion was perceived as external did not generate MIB. I conclude that MIB depends on the way the brain processes visual motion information.