On the Discovery of Monocular Rivalry by Tscherning in 1898: Translation and Review. (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: O'Shea, Robert P.; Roeber, Urte; Wade, Nicholas J.
• Is Part Of: I-Perception. Volume 8:Number 6(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: perception -- rivalry/bistability -- history -- translation -- Tscherning -- Breese -- Helmholtz; Perception -- Periodicals; Visual perception -- Periodicals; Perception; Perception; Electronic journals; Periodical; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; Periodicals; 153.7
• DOI: 10.1177/2041669517743523
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2041-6695

Abstract

Monocular rivalry was named by Breese in 1899. He made prolonged observation of superimposed orthogonal gratings; they fluctuated in clarity with either one or the other grating occasionally being visible alone. A year earlier, Tscherning observed similar fluctuations with a grid of vertical and horizontal lines and with other stimuli; we draw attention to his prior account. Monocular rivalry has since been shown to occur with a wide variety of superimposed patterns with several independent rediscoveries of it. We also argue that Helmholtz described some phenomenon other than monocular rivalry in 1867.