Microgenetic process of subjective contour perception in “noise-containing” inducing patterns

To investigate the processing of subjective contour perception in the second stage of “two-stage theory”(“solution-finding”-“solution-testing” theory) by Rock and Anson (1979), the microgenetic process in the perception of subjective contour was analyzed. Three stimulus patterns were used; one of them was a standard “Kanizsa triangle” pattern, and the remaining two contained noise figures to disturb the perception of subjective contour, These patterns were tachistoscopically exposed for 30-400 ms, and six subjects rated the clarity of subjective contour on 480 trials. It was found that the rated clarity of subjective contour in all patterns increased monotonically as a function of exposure duration, showing no sign of the second-stage processing. Moreover, the analysis of individual data suggested that the noise was processed at the first stage (“solution-finding” stage), not at the second stage (“solution-testing” stage) as assumed in the “two-stage theory.” It was concluded that the two stages of processing in the theory by Rock and Anson (1979) should be joined together to produce the “single-stage theory.”

CLARITY · Cognitive psychology · Noise (video) · Perception · Stage (stratigraphy) · Stimulus (psychology) · Artificial Intelligence · Chemistry · Color perception and design · Computer Science · Geology · Mathematics · Neuroscience · Psychology · Visual perception and processing mechanisms

• Spatiotemporal integration and contour interpolation revealed by a dot localization task with serial presentation paradigm

  Open Access•HIDEYUKI UNUMA, HISA HASEGAWA et al.•Japanese Psychological Research•2010

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