title: Amodal completion is not completed only behind the occluder.
abstract: We investigated amodal completion with changes in two parameters: figure orientation, and the shape of the occluding and occluded figures. First, Markovich's [2002, Visual Mathematics 4(1); http://www.mi.sanu.ac.rs/vismath/fila] figure was presented in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal orientations. The results supported Markovich's finding of amodal completion by smooth continuity and symmetry. Amodal completion was also affected by orientation: symmetrical shape tended to appear when the pattern had vertical axis whilst smooth continuity appeared in diagonal orientation. Next, the shape of the exposed side of the occluded figure was changed from straight to curved. Finally, the shape of the grey occluder was changed from a disk to a half-disk or a quarter-disk. The results then showed the influence of the visible contour on amodal completion. This shows that the contextual relation of the whole figure is significant in amodal completion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Chuo University, 742-1 Higashinakano, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0393, Japan. jade@tamacc.chuo.u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiina
mesh_terms: D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010466:Perceptual Closure; D010470:Perceptual Masking