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

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. The model provides an explanation of recent experimental results of Gao et.al.(2006) 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 1991), in agreement with Gao et.al. (2006).