Perception of an Illusory Form Under Conditions of Limited Visibility.
Abstract
Ambiguous figures and visual illusions are difficult to perceive when presented in terms of color contrast rather than luminance contrast. This finding has prompted the notion that the perception of these forms depends primarily on processing along an achromatic, luminance pathway. Others contend that the perception of such figures depends on the visibility of the stimulus rather than on the particular pathway traversed from eye to brain. If visibility is a limiting factor on perception, then it would be useful to determine how certain perceptual ambiguities are resolved under various conditions of limited visibility. In the present study, visual perception of a complex, ambiguous form was evaluated under several conditions of limited visibility including equiluminant color contrast (S and LM) and a range of luminance contrasts, also were evaluated. The results confirm and extend previous findings in showing that the perception of a complex, illusory form depends more on the visibility of the stimulus than on the particular pathway accessed. The expectations and prior experience of the observer also were found to be crucial determinants of complex object recognition.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA309581
Entities
People
- Jeff C. Rabin
Organizations
- United States Army Aeromedical Research Lab