Motion-induced blindness is influenced by global properties of the moving mask

Perceptual fluctuations experienced during motion-induced blindness (MIB) have been characterized as the result of a competition between representations of the moving mask and stationary (or slowly moving) targets (Bonneh, Cooperman, & Sagi, 2001). While there is evidence to support a local influence of the mask on target disappearance, what is not yet clear is whether the global properties of the mask can likewise impact disappearance. In the present study, we investigated the presence of a global effect of the mask on MIB by manipulating global motion properties of the mask while controlling its local motion properties surrounding the target. Results showed a significant impact of the global mask properties on the observed degree of disappearance. We also tested for a complementary local effect by comparing conditions in which we manipulated local mask properties while controlling global properties. This analysis did not yield evidence for a local effect, although this may have been due to our weaker manipulation of local mask properties compared to previous studies. Overall, the present results highlight a key role of global stimulus representations in producing the perceptual disappearances observed in MIB.