Stochastic Models and Fluctuations in Reversal Time of Ambiguous Figures

Abstract

Five probability distributions for the description of temporal fluctuations in the perception of ambiguous figures were fitted to previously obtained experimental results and classified according to their efficiency in describing the data. The gamma, Wiener, and Capocelli-Ricciardi distributions showed the highest efficiency, while the χ² and Taylor-Aldridge distributions showed a very low efficiency. Therefore the underlying process may be described either by a simple Poisson model or by a random-walk model. For the gamma distribution there was a strong correlation between the parameters, while for the Wiener distribution this correlation was lower.