Abstract
The time course of perceptual grouping was examined in two experiments, using a primed matching task. In different conditions, elements were grouped into columns/rows by common lightness, into a shape (triangle/arrow or square/cross) by common lightness, and into a shape without segregation of elements. The results showed an early and rapid grouping into columns/rows by common lightness and into a shape when no segregation from other elements was involved. Goodness of shape (i.e., triangle/arrow vs. square/cross) had no influence on how early grouping was evident, but the relatively poorer shapes appeared to consolidate with time. In contrast, grouping into a shape that involved segregation and required resolving figure-ground relations between segregated units, as grouping into a shape by common lightness, consumed time, regardless of shape goodness. These results suggest that the time course of grouping varies as a function of the processes involved in it (e.g., segregation and shape formation) and the conditions prevailing for each process.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 732-743 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Perception and Psychophysics |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2007 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Sensory Systems
- General Psychology