A Psychophysical Approach to Form Perception: Incompatibility as an Explanation of Integrality.
Abstract
INTEGRALITY REFERS TO AN APPARENT DIFFERENCE IN THE PERCEIVED DISTINCTIVENESS OF VISUAL DIMENSIONS. Some combinations of physically independent dimensions appear to fuse into a single perceptual attribute, while other combinations appear to leave the physically independent dimensions perceptually distinct. This apparent difference in the perceived distinctiveness of visual dimensions have previously been explained by the postulation of two types of internal representations. One type is assumed to have a similarity (integral) structure, while the other type is assumed to have a dimensional (separable) structure. To define these two types of structures, a set of converging operations has been proposed, including a pattern of performance in speeded sorting (Garner, 1974). However, the pattern has not always been found to fall neatly into two categories. In particular, degrees of integrality and asymmetric integrality have been observed. This report attempts to show that two crucial operations defining integrality--interference and condensation time in speeded sorting--as well as degrees of integrality and asymmetric integrality can result from a single type of structure, the dimensional type. It attempts to show that these patterns of performance can be explained by the compatibility of physical dimensions with psychological (i.e., separable) dimensions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA087607
Entities
People
- Patricia Wenjie Cheng
Organizations
- University of Michigan