Orientation-specific possibility priming for novel three-dimensional objects.
Priming effects on the object possibility task, in which participants decide whether line drawings could or could not be possible three-dimensional objects, may be supported by the same processes and representations used in recognizing and identifying objects. Three experiments manipulating objects' picture-plane orientation provided limited support for this hypothesis. Like old/new recognition performance, possibility priming declined as study-test orientation differences increased from 0 degree to 60 degrees. However, while significant possibility priming was not observed for larger orientation differences, recognition performance continued to decline following 60 degrees-180 degrees orientation shifts. These results suggest that possibility priming and old/new recognition may rely on common viewpoint-specific representations but that access to these representations in the possibility test occurs only when study and test views are sufficiently similar (i.e., rotated less than 60 degrees).
Williams
P
P
Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston 02125, USA. pepper.williams@umb.edu
Tarr
M J
MJ
D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012399:Rotation; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*