Head orientation relative to gravity modulates perceptual reversals and the first percept on the Schröder staircase: a four-orientation study with a stationary display

Resolving an ambiguous perspective figure depends on internal references built from visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive cues and, for depicted objects, on their relation to the observer's body. Discrete head orientations between up-right and inverted have rarely been compared on the same perspective stimulus....

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No actionable change — this is basic perceptual science linking vestibular and proprioceptive signals to visual ambiguity; no direct clinical application for audiologists at this stage.

Understanding how vestibular and gravity-related signals interact with visual perception may offer long-term insights into multisensory processing relevant to vestibular rehabilitation research.

1. 01Head orientation relative to gravity modulates how often observers switch between the two interpretations of the Schröder staircase illusion.
2. 02Both the first perceived interpretation and subsequent reversals were influenced by head tilt, implicating gravity sensing.
3. 03Vestibular and proprioceptive (body-position) cues appear to contribute to visual perceptual decisions.
4. 04A four-orientation design was used, comparing upright vs. tilted viewing conditions with a stationary display.
5. 05Findings add to evidence that multisensory integration affects higher-level visual processing.

PMID

42905149

DOI

10.1007/s00221-026-07416-5.

Journal

Experimental Brain Research

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Healthy adult participants viewing an ambiguous figure in four head orientations

Intervention

Viewing the Schröder staircase ambiguous figure in four different head orientations relative to gravity

Comparator

Upright head orientation (standard viewing condition)