title: Short-range limitation on detection of feature differences.
abstract: We studied the ability of observers to detect the presence of a clearly visible line segment against a background of line segments of different orientation. As we increase the number (density) of these background lines, we find that detectability does not behave monotonically. Adding a small number of background lines decreases detectability but if adjacent line segments are permitted to fall in close range, a further increase of background lines improves performance which eventually reaches a constant level. This suggests that detection of feature differences involves a short-range process. The range of this process is about two degrees or twice the length of the line segments used. Thus texture-gradients between different elements are only formed if the distance between these elements is not much larger than the average element size.
authors.affiliation: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sagi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Julesz
mesh_terms: D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011601:Psychophysics; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*