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A nonlinear dynamics model for simulating long range correlations of cognitive bistability

Biological Cybernetics volume 103, pages 175–198 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Simulation results of bistable perception due to ambiguous visual stimuli are presented which are obtained with a behavioral nonlinear dynamics model using perception–attention–memory coupling. This model provides an explanation of recent experimental results of Gao et al. (Cogn Process 7:105–112, 2006a) and it supports their speculation that the fractal character of perceptual dominance time series may be understood in terms of nonlinear and reentrant dynamics of brain processing. Percept reversals are induced by attention fatigue and noise, with an attention bias which balances the relative percept duration. Dynamical coupling of the attention bias to the perception state introduces memory effects leading to significant long range correlations of perceptual duration times as quantified by the Hurst parameter H > 0.5 (Mandelbrot, The fractal geometry of nature, 1991), in agreement with Gao et al. (Cogn Process 7:105–112, 2006a).

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Acknowledgments

I am indebted to Monika Mittendorf for help with the computer experiments and data evaluation, to H. Nakatani of Riken Brain Science Institute for information on recent experimental results, and, in particular, to J.B. Gao and K.D. White of University of Florida for providing an early preprint of their study. J. B. G. is now with PMB Intelligence LLC. Significant improvements of the original version of the manuscript are due to valuable comments and questions of the anonymous reviewers.

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    Norbert Fürstenau

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Correspondence to Norbert Fürstenau.

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Open Access This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

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Fürstenau, N. A nonlinear dynamics model for simulating long range correlations of cognitive bistability. Biol Cybern 103, 175–198 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-010-0388-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-010-0388-4

Keywords

  • Cognitive bistability
  • Modelling
  • Nonlinear dynamics
  • Perception
  • Attention
  • Long range correlations
  • Hurst parameter