The effects of global grouping laws on surface lightness perception.
Previous studies of lightness perception have shown that local surface grouping laws such as proximity and T junction were powerful determinants of target surface lightness. Recent lightness theories also emphasize the importance of local grouping of surfaces. In this study, we further examined the effects of three global grouping laws--symmetry, repetition, and alternation--on lightness perception. Local surface grouping laws such as proximity and good continuation were controlled across all of our stimulus displays. Participants' lightness perception consistently depended on a given surface's belongingness as determined by these laws--that is, global grouping laws affected a target surface's lightness perception. Our results indicate that global grouping laws determine a target surface's lightness when local surface grouping does not produce any distinct surface belongingness. Implications of our basic results are discussed in terms of a recent lightness theory.
Oh
Songjoo
S
Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
Kim
Jung-Oh
JO
D005556:Form Perception; D006801:Humans; D014892:Weight Perception