Re: Temporary binding of descriptions in perception

[Pierre Divenyi <marva4!EarLab!pierre@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Dick, Al, Christian and others,

While I am enjoying the exchange of thoughts, theories, and models immensely,
I think that the phenomenon has not been described in sufficient detail to
draw any conclusion, let alone draw far-reaching and often very complex
theories on how the mind works. First, I think that Dick should respond to
an early challenge by Al and examine whether the illusion persists with
high-pass and low-pass copies of the utterance by the same voice. This
manipulation should answer a few questions, if not on binding and nodes,
at least on fatigue and suppression.

I have a different idea: If we have one speech processor and if it is located
in one hemisphere, then we should expect to experience different illusory
percepts in the two ears (even with the identical voice & word staggered in
the two ears), just by virtue of the longer time needed to reach the
processor from the ipsilateral ear. Furthermore, and here is another
challenge, testing people of a relatively advanced age (at which, as
we are told, progressive demyelination of the corpus callosum slows down
and impairs interhemispheric transfer) should lead to more frequent
reports of VTE than obtained in younger listeners and should yield asymmetric
results in the two ears (as measured, for example, by the time needed to
generate VTE).

Once we know better what is really happening, we would have easier time
looking for models to explain it.

Or, as the Latin say: "Verba volant, data manent".

        Pierre

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Pierre Divenyi             Speech and Hearing Research (151)
                           V.A. Medical Center, Martinez, CA 94553, USA
Phone: (510) 370-6745;     Fax: (510) 228-5738
E-mail :                   PDivenyi@ucdavis.edu
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